The Master Corps
by Thomas A. Hawk
Summary: A sequel to my first story, The Hunter's Oath, join Wes as he begins his quest to surpass his father by joining an elite group of hunters known as the Master Corps. Along the way, he'll meet brand new friends, engage in epic battles against dangerous monsters, and maybe even discover something more about himself.
1. Chapter 1

The Master Corp

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated._**

**Edited by: dashboardgecko**

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Chapter 1- A New Beginning

"'Scuse me! Comin' through!"

Wes darted between two people as he ran through a crowd, turning himself sideways to fit between them. The two startled shoppers dropped their wares and shouted at him as he sprinted away, but he didn't pay any mind; today was way too important for him to be late. Wes was heading for the docks of Moga Village, eager to board the ship that was no doubt awaiting him at the waterfront. The hunter leapt over an empty table and slid beneath another as he landed, rolling after he came out from below the table and getting back to his feet in one move. He darted past another group of shoppers, ignoring the startled shouts from a few more people.

According to his father, Moga Village had a large influx of visitors and merchants numerous years ago. Wes had heard stories about how the village had once been a small fishing community, but later became an immense population center where hunters flocked and business owners found their success. This was largely due to location; all different kinds of monsters made their nests on the island connected to the village, thriving in an environment that supported the broadest variety of creatures in the country.

Not only was the hunting good, but the strategic value of capitalizing on hunting led to more shops and businesses opening than ever. It only took about two years after the earthquakes that plagued the island several decades ago ceased for Moga to get put on the map, and another twenty forged the village into a city that rivaled even Loc Lac, the hunting capital.

Wes always enjoyed walking around the large market center and browsing the wares with his parents; each week, traders came by and sold different wares from overseas, things that would be unobtainable for anyone living in the village otherwise. His parents sometimes sold things themselves: his father often made complex machines and devices that could make difficult tasks easier to accomplish, while his mother would sell food and home-cooked meals that were basically becoming local legends.

Today, though, was a different day. Wes wasn't going shopping with his parents, he wasn't going out gathering with his mother in the woods, and he wasn't training at the Hunter's School with his father. Wes was preparing to leave Moga on his own for the first time in his life. He had already passed his Hunter's Examination three years prior; he held the distinction of being the youngest participant to pass the test yet. He had done so well, in fact, that he was immediately allowed to go after High Rank monsters.

No doubt this was because his parents were expert hunters; from a young age, Wes had learned the ways of gathering and tracking from his mother, while his father had taught him how to fight and free-run. Wes was glad he'd paid attention; he could pick out some of the minutest details in the environment, traverse almost any terrain, track monsters based on the smallest clues, and combat some of the toughest beasts in the world. At least, he thought he could. There was still plenty out there for him to hunt. At one point, his father even said that Wes was a better fighter than he was, though Wes found that to be a bit untruthful, as he had yet to best his father in a training match.

Wes sprinted through the market square, climbed up a building and started to run towards the docks from the rooftops; he could see a large boat with a Guild emblem emblazoned upon its sails. He grinned to himself as he leapt between roofs and raced to the pier. _Finally… I can't wait for this!_

Wes leapt off the building nearest to the pier, grabbing hold of a large hook used to hoist Sharqs the Hunting Fleet killed. The hook dropped with him, the chain linked to it extending as he went; the hook slowed his fall immensely. The dual sword user landed on the sturdy wooden dock in a crouch, releasing the hook and letting it rise back up to its previous position. He slowly got to his feet and pulled his hood back, brushing his blonde hair out of his different colored eyes; the right was a clear blue, while the left was a vivid green.

For a hunter, Wes sure didn't much look the part. While most other men and women in the profession preferred heavy, defensive suits of armor crafted from the beasts they had slain, he wore an outfit that, at first glance, could be mistaken for regular cloth and leather. His father, who was once known as the craftiest hunter alive, had made the suit especially for him as a going away gift. The main material used was Barioth furs, expertly crafted into a thin, sturdy shirt that offered almost as much protection as plate mail, complete with a hood lined with extra padding for defense and mobility. It was further augmented by a thinly woven suit of Rathalos scales he wore beneath the shirt. Above that, he wore an azure vest made from Lagiacrus hides that extended from his chest to above his knees both in front and behind him. A red sash made from Rathalos webbings was tied around his waist, and a black leather belt was tied around that. He wore baggy, padded tan pants crafted from Great Wroggi hides that offered not only protection, but also helped absorb the shock from falls.

The real armor, though, came in the form of the black leather pieces on his chest, arms, and legs. Wes wasn't sure exactly what creature the material came from, but the leather was incredibly strong and thin. A vest made from the black leather was strapped to his chest over all the other pieces of his suit, protecting his vitals perfectly. He wore bracers and guards around his biceps made from the same thing, and his boots were likewise made from the dark monster hide.

On his back, a pair of unique dual swords was sheathed. They were perfect replicas of each other, matching in appearance; both had sharp, greyish-blue blades that curved slightly upwards, giving them a saber-like appearance. Each had a straight handle wrapped in leather and a thin, silver handguard that extended across the top of the hand and over the fingers. These were specially crafted for him as well, made from the highest quality metals in the country and suited perfectly to him.

In addition to his dual blades, the bracers on Wes' arms served a combat function as well. Both pieces had a small metal compartment built into it that, with a quick wrist movement, would cause a thin, very sharp blade to extend from his forearm. These in particular were something Wes had been hoping to get for several years. His father had a similar pair that he had made a long time ago, which, despite their relative uselessness in open fights with larger beasts, proved to be invaluable in carving, dealing precise death blows to smaller monsters, and at one point, even diffused a hostile situation at the local tavern. Wes checked the blades to ensure they were still functioning properly before turning back to the large boat.

He looked upon the ship which lay docked before him at the port. It was fairly large, big enough to hold at least four or five groups of hunters aboard. In fact, it probably did; the Guild had supposedly called upon numerous hunters for a special job, with Wes being one of them. He gazed up and down the ship, in awe at the prospect of being allowed to sail on it.

"Excuse me, sir, are you here for something?" Wes turned to face a pair of men wearing red Guild uniforms standing behind him, their arms crossed. "This ship is here on official Guild business; we must ask you to keep away from here until our work is concluded."

"No, it's fine," Wes replied. "This ship is here for me. I got the message a few weeks ago." The hunter pulled a letter out of the smaller pouch on his belt, holding it out to the pair. One of them took the letter from his hand, reading it up and down as if to verify that it was indeed his. After a moment, the man handed the letter back to him, somewhat apologetically.

"I apologize. You're awfully young for a job such as this, and if the description of you we were given hadn't specifically noted your eyes, we'd have needed a bit more proof than that. Still, it's good of you to have accepted, Mr. Wes. Please, come aboard; the _Righteous Law _will be shipping out soon, and we'd hate to be late. Yours is the last stop we have before we head to the capital."

"Wes, hold up a minute! Not gonna go without a proper good-bye, are you?" Wes smirked and turned around, seeing his parents standing on the dock. The hunter motioned to the Guild members to wait a moment before quickly striding over to them. He shook his father's hand before hugging his mother, excited to leave but also a bit nervous.

"Don't forget to send a few letters now and then, alright?" his mother asked, holding him for a good long while in a very caring manner. She had very soft features and long brown hair, which she now had tied into a ponytail. Her eyes were a vivid emerald green that were as bright as a sunlit meadow. Despite being in her forties, she still maintained a youthful beauty about her, and with it, a physically fit body. She'd always been quick on her feet, which was something Wes was glad to have picked up from her.

"And remember what I told you about those swords, son: don't lose 'em. It took me forever to make those," his father remarked, a bit sternly but still with a compassionate tone. He had a much more aged appearance than Wes' mother did, with some small wrinkles here and there. He had medium-long, messy brown hair and a beard that matched his hair color. His right eye was covered by a black eye-patch; Wes had seen the damage to the eye several times before, which left the once clear blue eye a plain white. A scar extended above the eye as well, branching into two cuts below his eye, one which was still somewhat visible under the patch. His build was a fair bit stockier than Wes, though he was far more agile than his appearance let on. Wes' training had only proved that to the extreme; they had run over thin logs spanning wide rivers and climbed tall mountains together throughout most of Wes' life, developing his ability to cross almost any terrain with almost no difficulty.

"Don't worry, ma, I will. And pa, I'll be careful with the swords, don't worry," Wes reassured, nodding at the two. His mother smiled warmly at him and his father gave him a confident grin.

"I get the feeling that you're gonna go far, Wes," his father said. Pulling him off to the side, his father lowered his voice. "And try not to lose that eye of yours," he said quietly, pointing at Wes's right eye. "The ladies love the blue, trust me."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Wes snarked, punching his father lightly on the arm. "I'm not as clumsy as you were, you know!" Wes pointed at his father's eye patch, a sarcastic grin on his face. "Better watch out next time, eh?"

"Alright, you've had your fun," his father said, laughing a bit. "I think it's about time you got going, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll send you some of the money I make if you want!"

"Hah! That's my boy! Alright, get outta here already, else we'll be standing here all day. Go and kick some ass, kid."

"I'm pretty sure that's a requirement for the job, pa," Wes said, backing up a bit as he started towards the ship. "I'll try and visit, no worries! See you around!" Wes gave his parents a final wave before going with the two Guild officials to the gangway and boarding the ship, eager to begin his journey. Before too long, the _Righteous Law_ began to pull away from the docks, leaving Moga Village behind as the wind filled its sails and propelled it out to sea. The dual sword user stood on the back of the ship, giving his parents one last thumbs up as the ship departed, grinning as the two waved back.

"So, you're the one we just picked up, eh?" Wes turned to the man who stood at his side, somewhat startled; he hadn't even heard him approach! The first thing Wes noticed about him was that his eyes were a shining gold color. "You're not hiding a bow in that outfit of yours, are you?"

"Nah, I use dual blades," Wes replied, turning around completely to face the man. "You got a problem with archers?"

"Nope, just checking up the competition!" he replied, brushing his black hair away from his left eye; it quickly fell back into place, obscuring his eye completely. "I'm aiming to be the best bow user in history, so any challenge I gotta beat!" Wes noted the numerous callouses on his hand; this guy was practically fanatical about using a bow, from the looks of it. He was definitely built like an archer.

"Well, I can use a bow, but I prefer using swords above anything. Nothing like tearing a beast to shreds with your own two hands, in my opinion. So I put a sword in each and bam, it became that much easier!"

The archer let out a short laugh in response. "Right you are! Not a bad thought at all. The name's Viper," he said, holding his hand out to shake.

"I'm Wes," the dual sword user replied, taking his hand firmly and shaking. "Where do you come from, Viper?"

"Ah, just a small village by the Flooded Forest. I tell you, some of the monsters out there can get pretty wild; not sure what you Moga folk have to deal with on a daily basis, but before the ship came we got jumped by a Gobul and a Royal Ludroth. It… Well… Let's just say the village will be eating pretty well for the next few weeks!"

Wes chuckled a bit; Viper seemed like a pretty friendly person, and if he was on this ship, it meant that he was a superb hunter already. Viper didn't have any of his hunting gear on though, so Wes wasn't sure what kind of equipment he used. Still, a fast friend was better than none, so Wes was quick to welcome him.

"Y'know, I haven't seen equipment like that before, Wes," Viper said. "Where'd it come from? Some new monster? Looks like Barioth pelts to me. And what's that black leather?"

"My pa's in the business of making things," Wes explained. "He made these for a going away gift, I guess. Better than my other armor sets, at least. It's way more comfortable than my old Rathalos suit. It's a bit of a mix; Barioth pelts and Lagiacrus hides for the body, Great Wroggi hide for the legs, and a Rathalos webbing sash to top it off. for As for the leather, I'm not so sure myself. Probably something my pa hunted a while back."

"Doesn't look much like armor to me, but whatever floats your boat," Viper replied with a shrug.

"So, how many hunters are on this ship now?"

"Well, I've been on for most of the trip, and I've counted about twelve, including you."

"Huh, I guess I thought there'd be a few more," Wes remarked, a bit disappointed.

"Ah, cheer up; you just gotta meet some of 'em," Viper said, pushing himself off the railing. "Come on; I'll show you around."

Wes followed the archer below deck and through a hallway until they arrived in a large room, set up like a tavern, with a few benches filled with people talking, eating, and drinking. The two sat down at an empty table from which they could see all the hunters in the room.

"See those two over there?" Viper said, pointing to a pair of hunters conversing with each other off to the side. They both wore armor made from G-Rank Barioth materials. "The taller one's name is Frost, and the one with him is his sister, Snow. Apparently, they're twins, but I haven't seen Frost's face before. Still, they both probably have white hair; she's got it, so he should too, right? They come from a town about a mile from the Tundra, and I hear they're both pretty deadly hunters."

"He's freakin' tall; he's gotta be at least a foot taller than her, right? How can they be twins with that big of a height difference?"

"No clue, but hey, it's just a rumor. Maybe they're just close enough to be siblings, maybe he's adopted, who knows. Anyways, see the full table over there? The one with all the girls? Those are the Gem Sisters; they aren't related, but I hear they've been hunting together for years. The one with shoulder length red hair is Ruby, the one with long blue hair is Sapphire, greeny is Emerald, and the medium length purple haired one is Amethyst."

"There is no possible way that their hair is natural," Wes remarked, a bit confused by the colors. "And are those their real names?"

"As far as I know, yeah. But don't let their looks fool you; rumor has it they brought down a Deviljho in minutes."

"Seriously? They look too… cute to be that tough." Wes found them all to be attractive, but wasn't about to ogle any of them; he'd heard stories from his father about how much his mother managed to squeeze out of him money-wise because of her looks, and Wes wasn't about to follow that example.

"Well, like I said, I only know what I've heard. Let's see… there's Bruno over there with the Lagiacrus hammer, Faron is the guy with the Rathalos bowgun, Curt there uses an Agnaktor switch-axe, and John has a Brachydios great sword."

"They have any claims to fame?"

"Not that I've heard… but that meal the waitress is bringing over is definitely looking like one of mine!" he said as a woman set two plates of food down before them and departed with a smile. Wes was surprised at how fast the man wolfed his food down; he hadn't even started yet and the archer had already completely devoured half of his plate.

"Jeez, slow down a bit; you're gonna kill yourself at that rate!" Wes said, digging into his own food.

"Mph! Mph phe mpht mm mmng!" Viper replied, his mouth full of food.

"Damn, swallow before you talk, dude!" Wes replied, chuckling but confused. He waited for Viper to swallow before hearing out what he said.

"I said, I think that we might have company," Viper said, nodding towards a few hunters who were nearing. Wes turned to see who was approaching; the Gem sisters were walking over to the table they were seated at. He quickly swallowed another bite as they gathered themselves around the table.

"So, you're the last hunter we picked up?" the red haired girl, Ruby, asked bluntly.

"Well, who else would he be?" Emerald asked, crossing her arms. "It's not like we don't know everyone else already or anything."

"Can you two stop bickering for ten seconds?" Amethyst asked, sighing. "Everyone thinks we're crazy enough as is."

"Well, I think that's because Emerald beat the crap out of that guy who asked for our names yesterday," Sapphire said, jokingly.

"He was a creep, and you know it!"

"Eh… did I… miss something?" Wes asked, a bit confused by their somewhat botched introduction. The girls quit bickering and immediately returned their attention to him.

"Oh, it was nothing, don't worry about. Anyways what's your name, blondie?" Amethyst asked, leaning on the edge of the table.

"The name's Wes, and don't call me blondie," he replied, a bit irritated at the nickname. The other girls laughed a bit, finding his reaction humorous.

"Alright, whatever," Ruby said. "But what's up with your eyes? Don't most people have, y'know, normal colored eyes?"

"I dunno, I kinda like them," Sapphire commented. "I haven't seen anyone else with eyes like that, have you?"

Wes elbowed Viper as the girls again began to bicker amongst themselves, getting his attention. "Is it normal for them to gossip about the guy sitting right in front of them? And I thought they were a team; seems like they hate each other."

"Those're girls for you, Wes," Viper replied, chuckling. "No one understands them!"

"Oh, hello, Viper," Emerald said, finally noticing the archer seated beside Wes. "It's great to see you again," she continued, somewhat irately. Wes wasn't sure what it was, but the two seemed like they had some sort of conflict between them.

"Pleasure's all mine, E," Viper replied mockingly. "Still working on learning how to hit something with a bow?"

"Please, you only won because of that gust of wind! I'll take you on any day with a stable draft, and then we'll see who the better archer is."

"Hey, last I checked, most environments we'll be hunting in won't be stable. You honestly want to complain about losing in a completely fair contest?" Viper's counter immediately silenced the green haired woman, drawing a chuckle from the gold eyed hunter. "That's what I thought. And I'll keep winning all of our arguments too!"

"Alright, can we try and… I dunno, not argue for like five minutes?" Wes said at last. "I can't even tell if we're becoming friends or about to get into a fight here!"

"I guess he's right… Anyways, what makes you so special, Wes?" Sapphire asked. "I mean, besides your eyes."

"Well, I took down a pair of Raths three years ago for my Hunter's exam. Took me… seven minutes and forty-nine seconds, if I remember." Wes smirked as all the eyes at the table widened in awe at the statement.

"You're lying, no one except for a veteran could reach a time that fast!" Amethyst said, a tinge of amazement in her voice.

"I learned from the best. Can't help it if I'm that good, can I?" he replied smugly. If there was one thing he had been looking forward to, it was showing off a bit.

"Hey, it took me a bit under five to take a Nargacuga down," Viper commented, butting in. "It ain't that hard to take a few monsters down if you know what you're doing."

"Please, that wasn't even a fight; you paralyzed it and just started flinging arrows into the thing," Ruby pointed out. "We were all there; don't lie about it!"

"I never said how I took it down, did I?" the archer asked amusingly. The red haired girl clamped her jaw shut, her face going red with embarrassment. "That's two for me," Viper mumbled low enough for Wes to hear.

"Wait, you said you took those Raths how long ago? Three years?" Emerald asked curiously. "…How old are you?"

"Eighteen, gonna be nineteen in a couple months," Wes replied, further amazing the group.

"You were fifteen!? Exactly where did you learn to hunt?" Sapphire asked disbelievingly.

"My pa and ma; they were expert hunters a while back. Learned everything from them."

"Well, it's been lovely, but we have to go now," Emerald said, suddenly beginning to pull Ruby and Amethyst away along with her; it almost seemed like she noticed they had to be somewhere important. "Bye, blondie! Bye… Thing…" she said, referring to Wes and Viper.

"…Guess I'd better go with them…" Sapphire said, sighing. "Nice meeting you, Wes. I really like your eyes, by the way!" she said, walking away and waving as she followed after the others.

"Well, that was … fun…" Wes commented, scratching the back of his head in confusion. Viper shrugged in reply, amused. "And why did they run off like that?"

"Hey, like I said: no one understands them."

"Excuse us, do you mind if we sit with you?" The two looked up to see Snow and Frost standing beside the table, as if they had been there for a while.

"Yeah, sure," Wes replied, motioning towards the empty seats. The pair seated themselves opposite Wes and Viper. "You been there long?"

"Long enough to see you run the Gem Sisters off, yeah," Snow replied with a laugh. "Seriously, I couldn't even tell if you were arguing or just talking!"

"Neither could I," Wes said, taking a sip from his tankard. "I'm Wes, and this is-"

"The name's Viper, and the pleasure's all mine," the archer said with a quick grin.

"Well, I'm Snow, and this is my brother, Frost. Just so you know, he isn't really the talkative type." The masked hunter nodded at them silently in greeting, as if to confirm his sister's statement.

"What're your claims to fame?" Viper asked, taking a bite off of a hunk of well-done meat. "I hear you two are good hunters, but I haven't heard about what you've actually done."

"Well, my brother and I took down a pair of Barioths that almost destroyed a town in the Tundra. We also drove a Brachydios off; almost killed it too, but a Deviljho decided to crash the party on us."

"Not bad, I heard that slime can be a real blast to deal with," Wes said, laughing a bit.

"Trust me, you don't know the half of it!" Snow replied, chuckling. She seemed like the one who did all the talking between her and her brother. Wes figured it was a bit of a compensation; she did all the talking, and he did… something else.

"What weapons are you two good with?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I've used a sword and shield most of my life," Snow replied, drawing her blade and showing it to the two. It was made from Barioth materials as well, and looked sharp enough to cleave a Jaggi in half without a sweat. "As for Frost…" Her brother pointed at the wall behind them, and the two turned around to take a look; a long sword stood resting on the wall behind them, made from high quality Ivory Lagiacrus materials. Still, there seemed to be a bit more to the blade than a usual long sword, but Wes couldn't fully determine what that was.

"Not a bad bit of blade there," Viper remarked with an impressed whistle. "Either of you good with anything ranged though?" The twins both shook their heads, and a confident grin came to Viper's face. "Hah! Still the best archer on the ship!"

Wes and Snow laughed at Viper's triumphant declaration while Frost merely shook his head in what could only be described as mild amusement. The four conversed well into the night, even as the other hunters began to leave the room and go about their own business; at least, three of them conversed. Frost merely shook his head or shrugged in response to questions. Eventually though, Wes found himself growing tired and decided to turn in for the night. "Alright, I think I'm gonna hit the hay. I'll see you all tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright, the cabins are down a level," Viper said, pointing down the hall towards a staircase. "See you tomorrow. I hear they're making wyvern egg omletts, and I'm not missing out on those!"

"We'll look for you at breakfast," Snow said, gesturing to herself and Frost. Her brother nodded in acceptance of the comment; Frost seemed like the type of person who just went along with things. Wes stood up, heading towards the cabins after giving his friends a final goodbye.

He checked the letter he had been sent, pulling a small key out of the envelope with the number '11' engraved on it. It took him a moment to find the room, but eventually he unlocked the door to his cabin and entered. The room was fairly well furnished, if a bit small, with a plush bed and a fully stocked, though cramped, bathroom. He washed his face before changing out of his armor and into some more comfortable nightwear. He climbed into the bed and quickly drifted off into sleep, drowsiness eventually overcoming his excitement about the prospect of his new job.

_This'll be a good run… I can just feel it…_

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_**Author Notes: **And so it begins! I must say, I've been eagerly anticipating the day I could finally release this for all of you! It's been a constant thought in my mind, and I'm happy to be getting this out there for your viewing pleasure. So, I hope that you intend to stick around a while; this is gonna be one hell of a story, I can assure you of that! And surprise surprise, dashboardgecko is my editor! Betcha weren't expecting that! Alright, it's that time again; remember to review and follow! See you next time!_

**_Playing: MH3U, Minecraft, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag_**

**_Listening to: Papa Roach, Paramore, The Offspring, Avenged Sevenfold_**

**_Watching: Archer, The Walking Dead_**

**_Reading: My own writing_**


	2. Chapter 2

The Master Corps

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated._**

**Edited by: dashboardgecko**

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Chapter 2- Introductions

Wes awoke in the middle of the night, hearing the creaking of the planks on the deck above him. He slowly pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and getting to his feet. _It's still early… The others probably aren't up yet. Might as well take a walk… _

He strode over to the table and picked up his black leather bracers, strapping them to his arms and flicking his wrists; the sharp blades sprang out with hardly a sound, their edges gleaming in the dim light. He smirked to himself as he retracted the blades. It wasn't exactly necessary to wear them now, but he couldn't deny how much he liked having them on.

Wes quietly opened the door of his room, stepping into the dimly lit hallway. All the other doors were shut tight; everyone else was still sleeping. The hunter silently crept down the hall, being careful not to make any noise. Once he was clear of the hall, Wes ascended a couple flights of stairs, and felt the cool sea breeze as soon as he opened the door to the deck. It was a clear night, with the moon hanging high in the sky and the stars shining brightly. The ocean was calm, and the only sound that could be heard from below was the light splashing of small waves against the hull of the ship. Only a few sailors were up as well, going about making sure everything was running smoothly on the deck.

_Nice night… Maybe I'll get a better view. _Wes jogged over to the center mast, passing up the pole and grabbing a rope that was tightly wound around the mast. Using it as a handhold, he pulled himself up the mast quickly; his climbing ability was almost unmatched, and practically any surface with even the slightest handhold might as well be a ladder for him. Wes eventually climbed up to a square platform, hoisting himself up and sitting with his back against the mast. The view was amazing, with the moon reflecting off the ocean's surface like a giant pale coin. He could see for miles, and he could hear everything from the deck below. Wes listened in on some of the sailors, interested in hearing what they were talking about.

"…so you think this ship is actually able to do what the captain says it can? It's kinda hard to believe."

"Hey, he says it works, it works. There's been plenty of work that's gone into this thing. Why would the Guild send it on an assignment this important if they thought it wouldn't work?"

"Still, I'm surprised just how much technology has developed these past years. You see those new airships? Twice as fast and about twice as easy to fly, from what I hear. With all those researchers they've hired recently, I tell you, I think we're in good hands here."

"Aren't one of those egg heads on the ship now? I heard him talking with some hunters a few hours ago; who were they, those girls with the weird hair? I dunno what they were talking about, but it seemed like they were getting some info on some new species. Some kinda dragon or something."

"Ah, leave it to them. The hunters'll kill one and bring it in, the scientists will find out what it is."

Wes heard a door open, and heavy boots walking on the deck. "Oi, what're you doing just standing around? We'll hit land within six hours, so everything needs to be set up perfectly, got it? Go over everything twice. If you already did, do it again. We can't have any mistakes."

"Aye, aye, captain." The sailors began to disperse about the deck, and the captain headed up to the wheel. It had been locked in place by a bar-like device, but the man quickly removed it and gripped the wheel. He wore a long navy blue coat and hat; from that height, his face was obscured, but Wes could make out a short blond beard. _I feel like I've met him… Where've I seen him before?_

Wes noticed the sky beginning to brighten after a while, and decided to head back before the other hunters awoke. Glancing over the edge of the platform, he noticed a bundle of cloth stored in a large rectangular crate. With a dare-devilish grin, he leapt over the edge, flipping in midair as he plummeted towards his intended cushion! He landed back first into the crate, flinching a bit as the cloth enveloped him. There had been enough to soften the impact, so Wes climbed out of the crate with no injuries and a short chuckle. _Pa'd be pissed if he saw me do that_.

Wes briskly strode over to the doors and entered the hold, descending back to the cabins, entering his room quietly and getting his armor back on. After another few minutes, he began to hear other doors in the hallway opening, along with stifled yawns and shuffling feet. Following suit, Wes left his room and joined the hunters heading towards the mess hall. They were all suited up as well, and each carried their unique weapon with them.

The dual blade user quickly got a plate of food before going to join Viper, who was busy stuffing his face at a nearby table. He was dressed in a suit of Green Nargacuga materials, and had a bow made from the same creature on his back. The helm of the suit rested on the seat next to him; Viper noticed him after a moment and waved him over.

"Mornin', Wes," the archer said. "Apparently we're getting to Loc Lac this afternoon. Everyone else decided to get suited up early."

"Won't it take a while to move everything from this ship to a sandship?" Wes asked, seating himself and beginning to eat.

"Probably. Still, that's the rumor, so why not get ready?"

"Hey guys, thanks for saving us seats," Snow said, walking over to them with Frost. The long sword user still had his helmet on, something that Wes found puzzling for someone at meal time.

"Does he always have his helmet on?" the dual sword wielder asked, taking a bite out of his meal. "Like, even when he eats?"

"Not always, but usually. It's kinda his thing. He actually ate already, so don't worry about him." Wes and Viper exchanged a quick glance and a shrug before returning to their meals.

"Any idea how long it'll take to get to Loc Lac?" Wes asked, pushing his empty plate away.

"No clue, I just heard it would be sometime this afternoon. I'm guessing they're gonna tell us now, though," Viper replied, stacking his plate on top of Wes'. "See up there, on that stage lookin' thing? There are a couple Guild officers there. Probably have the news right now. Hey, Snow, you gonna finish those Kut-ku nuggets?"

"Everyone, may we have your attention please!"

"Told you."

The hunters turned to face the officers, who stood beside each other uniformly on the platform. There were five total, four wearing dull red colored uniforms with gold trimming and one behind them wearing a similar uniform, but was all black with silver trimming.

"We'd like to begin by thanking all of you for accepting the invitation to join the Master Corps. It's a true privilege to have such highly regarded hunters in this new detachment. All of you have been selected for the variety of skills you have presented. Be it strength, intelligence, endurance, drive… all of you have qualities that put you above the others, which is why we have chosen you to become the first of hopefully many generations of this organization. We would like to personally introduce the Corps Head, the one who envisioned this entire endeavor, Sir Balestra."

The man in the black uniform stepped forward, allowing himself to be seen more clearly. He had a thin black goatee around a firm mouth. There were a few barely noticeable wrinkles on his face, and a very noticeable scar on the right side of his face, extending from his jaw to the middle of his cheek. He stood tall and proud, with his hands folded behind his back in a very formal manner, and gazed across the room with a pair of stern, deep red eyes, as if he was judging all of them with an almost supernatural accuracy. It seemed as though he'd met every kind of person there was, and would already know what to expect when he eventually spoke with them.

"Good day, all of you," Balestra began. He had a very flat, stoic voice that betrayed no emotion, yet still held a great, commanding tone. "As I'm sure you all are aware, I formed the Master Corps in order to accomplish several goals that would be far too difficult or time consuming for ordinary hunters to achieve. As such, it is important that I make you all aware that this is more than just a group dedicated to hunting. Ancient ruins dot this land, filled with artifacts of great importance to the research and development of new technologies. There are vital towns and villages that need defending from sudden Elder Dragon attacks. Key figures of importance to politics and the Guild itself need escorts in dangerous lands. These are only some of the assignments we have for you. I do hope you all understand this well; these contracts we will assign to you are far more dangerous than anything you've ever experienced before in all of your careers. This, I can assure you.

"In order to have you all effectively carry these out, we've come up with a system to determine which of you would be the best suited for each specific task. Do not expect to be on the same team every time. You all must learn to adapt, not only to the situation, but with each other, in order to properly complete these tasks, and absolute perfection in team dynamics will be essential. Now, in regards to rankings…"

Balestra continued speaking for a long while, elaborating on the importance on their positions and what they'd be doing. It got to the point where Wes had to force himself to stifle yawns, along with several other hunters in the room.

"Jeez, this guy could talk for days," Viper mumbled, shifting in his seat a bit. "How long is this gonna go on?"

"It's been about a half hour since he started," Snow said quietly, and somewhat irritably. "When are we just going to get on with it?"

"Not sure. Maybe he's gonna try to make us take notes too…" Wes replied, resting his head in his hand as the Corps Head continued his speech. "Dammit, didn't realize I signed up for a lecture…"

"…such is the reason behind our expeditions. I assure you all, this is a momentous occasion, and you should all be proud to serve within this unit. And with that, I bid you all good day."

Balestra concluded his speech and stepped back behind the other guild officers. The whole energy level in the room seemed to rise as everyone realized he had finished speaking. Some hunters at one of the tables began to rise to their feet, but were stopped as one of the officers raised a hand.

"Before our business here is concluded, we would first like to introduce the captain onboard the _Righteous Law._ You will all become well acquainted with the other members of the crew over the course of your careers with us, so it is important you meet the captain early. Sir Dustin, if you'please."

At a small table to the left of the platform, the man dressed in the blue coat Wes had seen from the deck of the ship rose from his seat and walked aboard the stage. He seemed somewhat rugged and determined, yet compassionate all the same. He had somewhat long blond hair tied back by a red string and a short, light beard. Beneath his jacket, he wore a suit of what looked to be ordinary hunting armor. He had a commanding presence; it was then that Wes finally recognized him.

"I think that's my pa's old apprentice," Wes whispered to the others. "But I thought he was a hunter; what's he doing piloting a boat?"

"Dunno, maybe he was asked?" Snow replied. "He looks like he'd be pretty good at it anyways. He kinda has that air of a captain about him."

"It's nice to meet you all," Dustin said from the stage, drawing the hunters' attention back to him. "I'd like to assure you that you'll all be in good hands with me at the wheel. I've been doing this my whole life, after all. Just remember, this is my ship, so I got a few rules; don't worry, there's only three. One, you throw up, you clean up. Two, don't get in the crew's way while they're working. Three, for the love of god, don't light anything on fire." The congregation of hunters laughed as the captain returned to his seat. Two others were there as well, one of whom gave the man a pat on the back.

"Thank you for that, Captain. The Head Liaison, Miss Sally, is awaiting us in Loc Lac, but her duty is to help you all manage assignments and distribute work effectively. This job is going to be a difficult one, so she will no doubt be helpful to all of you. So, since she is not here, we'd instead like to introduce the Chief of the medical staff, Doctor Connor."

This time, a darker skinned man rose from the table, taking his place at the stage. He looked almost too strong to be a doctor, having very broad shoulders and sharp features. He had long black hair he kept slicked back, and wore a white uniform.

"It is good for you all to have come," Connor began, talking slowly yet confidently. "Hunting is the most dangerous profession in the world, and as such, I have learned as many ways of treatment possible for every kind of injury. I do not originally come from this country, but I would like to ease all doubts now by saying I have lived in these lands for more than two decades, and have saved exactly three hundred eighty-seven lives from the brink of death. You have nothing to fear if you are injured." The doctor then returned to his seat as well, sharing a few words with the others assembled there. They all seemed familiar to Wes; it was as if he'd seen all of them before.

"Next is the Head of Defense, Order, Suppression, Labor, and… General Ass-Kicking in General…? Sir Lyle..." The guild officers seemed a bit confused by the line, but made no mention of it as a man wearing heavy armor made from Deviljho parts stomped up the steps, removing his helmet as he did. He was incredibly muscular, and had a large hammer strapped to his back that looked to be made from the same beast as his armor. His face was incredibly angular, as if it had been a stone cut to the shape. He had a full head of spiky brown hair and a five-o'clock shadow covering most of the lower half of his face. Various scars covered his face as well, the most prominent of which was extending from above his left eye to the left side of his jaw. He had a stern expression, but seemed like he was trying a bit hard too intimidate everyone.

"Alright, listen up! I'm Lyle, and all you need to know is that if any of you try to cause trouble, go against orders, cause disturbances, or piss me off, it's my job to set you straight. If you want a more direct explanation, here it is: I get to beat the shit out of you. Any questions? Good. Make my job easy, and we'll get along just fine." Some of the hunters seemed legitimately concerned by the threat as Lyle returned to his spot as well, but Wes just chuckled to himself a bit.

"Someone's awfully full of themselves," Viper whispered with a smirk. "He does look like he could snap almost anyone in here like a twig though."

"Still, I don't think he's the brightest one at that table," Wes replied. "Seriously, the Head of General Ass-Kicking in General? You honestly think the Guild would have put that in themselves?"

"Fair enough. Still, you get busted up, I hope that doctor can find the pieces."

"The remainder of the lieutenants are not here now," the guild representatives stated. "They will join you on only the most difficult of assignments, and for good reason: they all far outclass any other hunters available. And with that, we'd like to welcome you all to the Master Corps, and we hope you will faithfully carry out your duties. You may go about your business for now; we will be arriving in Loc Lac in about three hours."

"Finally! Dammit, I thought that would never end!" Viper said, stretching and groaning tiredly. "They didn't even give us assignments yet... Bah, whatever, I'm gonna hit the top deck. The sailors set up targets for us to practice on earlier. Wanna check out how good I am with a bow?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll check it out in a bit. I'm going to talk with the captain real quick; I'd like to see if it's really the same guy. What about you two?" Wes said, directing the question at the twins.

"I'm alright with the deck. What about you, Frost?" Snow asked. The long sword user nodded in confirmation, signifying he was okay with it as well. "I guess we'll see you there then!"

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit." The three departed for the upper deck while Wes strode over to the table Dustin, Connor, and Lyle were seated at. The three were laughing and drinking like old friends, which they were from the looks of it. The captain noticed him approaching, and the other two turned around to face the dual-sword user.

"Huh, there's something a bit familiar about you…" Dustin said, scratching his beard. "Ah, you're York's kid, aren't you? The outfit was a dead giveaway! Come sit with us!"

"So, what's your name, kid?" Lyle asked as Wes took a seat opposite the three.

"Wes," he replied, eager to converse with the older men. "So, you were my pa's old apprentice? Are you still hunting?"

"Aye, I was. York was definitely a good hunter; the best I've ever seen, actually. I'm glad to have learned under him, even if it was only for a couple months. As for me hunting, well, I moved on to work with sailing. Had a bit of an… injury a few years back that kept me from tangling with the tougher monsters, so I decided to follow in my own father's footsteps and become a sandship captain. I probably would've gotten killed back then if it wasn't for the armor I got from York. Next time you see him, tell him I've been taking good care of it, will ya?"

"Yeah, no problem. And you two?" Wes asked. "You all seem to know each other pretty well; weren't you two hunters too?"

"I was, but I found more use in pursuit of new medicines," Connor replied. "There have been many new advances in all the different forms of treatments for the past few years, and I would like to say I had some part in that. I was even looking into possible prosthetic replacements for hunters who have lost limbs in battle. Admittedly, I have had… mixed successes, shall we say. Aside from that, though, I have made alterations to the potions used in everyday hunting, increasing their effectiveness. I made a few other improvements as well, but you can learn about those when you need to."

"As for me, these lugs just asked me t' go along with it all," Lyle said, taking a large gulp from a tankard of ale. "Balestra scouted them since they had 'high honors' or some shit. I was hired since he needed security detail, and I was the best choice. Personally, I just like t' smash things. Sure, I won't be going after monsters as much, but if I get to bust some heads on the ship, I'll be satisfied."

"Seems like great reasoning," Wes said sarcastically.

"Hey, I get free booze with the job! Couldn't ask for a better payment!"

The captain let out a short laugh, clearly amused at the short exchange.

"You're more like your father than you'd realize, Wes," he stated. "Well, I'd better get back and get the wheel from the old man. We'll be hitting the sand sea in an hour or so, so I gotta be ready to shift gears."

"Yeah, about that: didn't you say you were a sandship captain? Why's this thing on the ocean then?" Wes asked curiously, leaning forward a bit.

"You'll see," the captain replied rather cryptically. "The Guild's put plenty of resources into this ship. Let's just leave it at that for now. Don't worry; you'll find out before too long." He then got up from the table, departing the room with a confident stride.

"Oh, and before you go, I feel obligated to share something with you," the doctor stated, also getting to his feet. "Some of your father's old hunting partners are members of the Master Corps as well. They will be serving only when they are needed though. It is a bit… costly to give them direct orders, I have heard."

"Huh, guess I'll have to keep an eye out for 'em. Thanks for the heads up," Wes replied, standing up. "I'm gonna see what the others are up to. I'll catch you guys later, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah… Don't be that informal, kid," Lyle said, setting down his tankard. "Balestra wants us to have some sorta 'Rank-and-File' shit, so you gotta refer to us by title. Personally, I don't give a damn, but apparently that's part of my job."

"I'll try to remember that, Lyle." Wes turned and walked across the room towards the stairs, making his way up towards the deck. Upon exiting the ship, he was greeted by the bright midday sun.

"Oi, Wes! Check this out!" Viper called from across the deck. The dual sword user jogged over to where his friends stood, noting that Viper currently had his bow drawn and several arrows notched. Five targets were hung at an irregular pattern on the mast opposite him. "How much do you want to bet that I can hit all of them with one shot?"

"I still think it's impossible," Snow remarked. "I mean, honestly, how could you hit them at a placement like that? I'll betcha five hundred gold at the most."

"Same here," Wes added, pulling a small bag of coins out. "You miss, you owe us both five hundred, Viper."

"Not a problem, bud! I wasn't kidding when I said I was the best archer on this ship!" The bow user drew the string back and adjusted the arrows with a quick flick of his ring finger before letting them all fly; at first, they all seemed like they would completely miss, but they suddenly veered towards the targets closest to them and struck the bulls-eyes dead center. Viper merely grinned as Wes and Snow stood dumb-struck at the show of archery they had just witnessed.

"There is no way that was real. You had to have cheated!" Snow said disbelievingly.

"…If you can do that again, then you win," Wes added, just as skeptical.

A couple moments later, Viper was laughing, having struck the targets three more times just as flawlessly as before. "Alright, pony up them coins," he remarked, holding his hand out victoriously. The two hunters were forced to accept that the bow user was just as good as he said and reluctantly dropped the money into the archer's open hand.

"Betcha can't beat me up the center mast though," Wes challenged, pointing towards the large pillar. "I'll make you another bet: you beat me, I give you one thousand gold, and if I beat you, we get our money back."

"Seriously? I've lived climbing trees and rocks all my life! If you want, I can keep getting some pocket change from all of you! Should we begin with a running start?"

"Yeah, of course. We'll go one at a time, and a ref will judge the time. That good for you?"

"Yeah. I'll go first. Stand back, bud, and prepare to lose!" The two left their weapons with the twins before Viper took his place, positioning himself a short distance from the mast.

"Snow, you mind saying go to kick this off? I'd ask Frost, but… well, you know."

"Yeah, no problem! You ready then? Three… Two… One… GO!"

No sooner had she begun the race than the hunter began sprinting at a swift pace towards the mast! Viper ran as fast as he could before passing up the pillar with a kick and beginning to climb. Viper had an impressive jump, but his actual climbing was rather slow, as if he had to look harder for handholds. Still, it wasn't long before he made it to the crow's nest high above the deck. He descended to the deck using a hook and rope nearby the platform.

"How'd I do?"

"About fifty seconds," Snow answered, somewhat impressed. "The same as one of the sailors, even."

"Hah! Top that, bud!"

"You aren't the only one who can climb, you know!" Wes immediately took his place, his stance exuding pure confidence in himself. At Snow's signal, he sprinted at the column and passed up effortlessly, gripping the rope tied around the pole and not wasting any time in ascending the mast. Despite not keeping track of time, he was pretty sure it only took him about half as long as Viper to make it to the top. He grabbed the hook and dropped down to where the others were. "So, how about that gold?" he snidely remarked.

"Okay, I'll admit, I really didn't think you were that good of a climber," he replied, putting the coins in Wes' hand.

"Snow, here's your share," Wes said, tossing the coins to her.

"Thanks! Gotta admit, I've never seen anyone climb that fast before. Think you might be able to do that to a monster?" she replied, smiling warmly.

"Least I could do, eh?" he replied with a grin. "And who knows, maybe I can! But hey, has anyone been keeping an eye on the horizon?"

"Not really, no. Why?" Snow answered.

"Dustin said there'd be a surprise when we neared the desert; I don't want to miss it. Want to go to the front of the ship?"

"Sure, why not?" Viper said, slinging his bow across his back. The four walked across the deck to the bow. The desert was in sight, and several other hunters were watching eagerly as the sands rapidly approached.

"Look, there's the Great Desert!" Snow said, pointing towards the nearing desert.

"Well, no duh, genius," someone nearby replied. Wes turned and saw that the Gem Sisters were standing close by, laughing amongst themselves as Snow's face flushed red. Frost stepped between his sister and the group of huntresses protectively, immediately causing them to quiet down and look away; his presence seemed more than enough to shut anyone up, more so now than any time before.

"…Anyways, what's this surprise? If we don't slow down, this ship's gonna crash!" Viper said, a bit concerned. "And I don't feel like walking across the Great Desert to Loc Lac!"

A loud groaning sound suddenly reverberated from the deck behind them. All the hunters waiting on the bow of the ship turned in surprise as several large wooden structures began to slide out from the ship's deck! Wes watched in surprise as the thick boards slowly extended out and shook the entire ship as they locked into place. More extensions lowered from the edges of the additions, slightly skimming the water as they neared the liquid's surface. By now, the ship was about to beach, and everyone on board braced themselves for a rough crash!

But it never came. The ship seamlessly transferred from ocean to sand with little more than a slight jolt. The support structures on the sides of the ship kept it from rolling over and crashing, making it run as smoothly as the finest sandship ever created. Wes let out a short, surprised laugh, being the first to recover. "Well, how about that! This thing's a flippin showboat too!"

"And can you see how fast it's going?!" Viper replied, joining him. "I'd never have thought there'd be a ship this big that could move so quickly!"

"The city's already in sight, too!" Snow added. It was true: the hunting capital was just rising over the horizon, still barely a speck, but it was growing larger by the second. "At this rate, we'll be there in no time!"

"You got that right! Man, I haven't been there in years!" Wes remarked enthusiastically. Frost stood beside him and grunted a bit, as if in agreement. "You haven't been there either?"

"Not since we were a bit younger, no," Snow answered quickly. "We've mostly just lived in the Tundra."

"Guess that means you both must be pretty good at giving the cold shoulder!" Viper joked. The others gave him irritated sighs in reply. "What, no takers?"

"Just give it a rest, alright?" Wes said, giving him a bemused smile.

"Hey, blondie!" Wes turned to face his addresser with an irritated expression.

_That nickname is really getting on my nerves… _"I thought I told you not to call me that, Ruby."

"We'll call you what we want," Emerald remarked, joining the red haired girl. "But listen, we've got a bit of a bet for you."

"And that is?"

"None of us really believe you're as good as you say you are. So, we want you to prove it," Amethyst elaborated.

"They tried the same thing on me, Wes," Viper whispered. "Course, I won then, so you should be fine."

"…Alright, what's your game?" the dual sword user answered. The girls looked between themselves, quietly discussing a plan.

"Alright, here's what we've decided," Ruby said after moment. "You told us that you single handedly brought down two Raths in a bit under ten minutes, right? Well, we have a similar idea in mind."

Wes hesitated for a moment, thinking the girls were going to sic actual monsters on him. _Where would this ship even be able to hold two monsters of that size? _

"Oh, don't worry; it's not actual monsters, Wes," Sapphire said. "Just listen to us, and we'll tell you." He glanced back and saw Viper and Snow give him confident, approving gestures before turning back to face the group.

"Alright, fine. Show me whatcha got."

The group made their way back across the deck and to the stern, behind the wheel. Dustin tipped his hat at Wes as he passed. Two tall, burly men stood there as well, cracking their knuckles as the dual blade user approached. He recognized both as hunters named Curt and John. Both wielded heavy weapons, making their physiques particularly imposing.

"So, you say you could bring down two monsters easily while on your own? So, let's see if you can do the same with these two in here!" Emerald said. "If you can beat these guys in a fist fight, then we'll believe you."

"This doesn't really seem like such of a substitute for a pair of Raths, y'know…" Viper commented.

"Yeah, I don't see how this'll prove how good of a hunter Wes is," Snow added skeptically. Wes raised a hand to gesture them to be quiet.

"They want to watch me beat the shit out of these punks, then let 'em. Like I said, I learned from the best; this'll take me three minutes, if that. But I think I'd like a bit more than just your collective respect for this, ladies," he said smugly.

"…What do you want from us if you win…?" Amethyst replied uneasily.

Wes took a moment to think about what he could get from a bet before settling on an idea. "Alright, if –and when- I win, all of you have to pony up a thousand gold and kiss my boots. That sound good?"

"Oh… Oh! Well, ehm… I guess…" The purple haired woman seemed a bit flustered for some reason, but Emerald quickly stepped forward.

"I won't kiss your feet, you asshole! Why would we ever agree to that?!"

"Seems like you're worried he'll win, Emmy!" Viper teased, laughing as she began to angrily cuss at him.

"Make it five hundred each, and you've got a deal," Ruby replied with a short sigh. "On the off chance that you actually win this bet, I don't feel like losing that much money to you."

"But… Ruby, shouldn't he have to do something for us if he loses?" Sapphire remarked, giving him a devilish smirk.

"Good point, Saph. Alright blondie, if you lose this bet, then you'll have to do… something for us… Any of you have an idea?"

"Well, we could make him bring us food," Emerald replied.

"Nah, how about we make him have to do whatever we say for a day?" Amethyst said. "That way, we won't have to really think about it now."

"I guess that sounds good," Sapphire agreed. "So, you win, we kiss your feet. We win, you have to do whatever we say for a full day. Deal?"

"Deal. And don't forget, when I win, you also owe me five hundred gold, each." Wes unsheathed his dual blades and handed them to Viper before approaching the two hunters. The designated fighting area was a medium sized square surrounded by railings on all sides to keep the combatants inside. The two hunters grinned and laughed mockingly as he stepped up. Some sailors had joined the hunters watching as well, cheering and making bets with each other on who would win.

"So, you decided that you wanted to get pulverized after all!" Curt mocked. John sneered as well, trying to look more intimidating.

"I dunno, I think the punk wants to get himself killed, man. Either way, I'm happy to oblige!"

"If you two are done threatening each other, can we get on with this? I've got a bet to win," Wes taunted, smirking as the two hunters faces' reddened with anger as they realized he had just insulted them right back.

"Shut your trap, punk! I'll show you a bet!" John threw a slow, strong punch at the hunter, which Wes effortlessly dodged. The dual blade user retaliated with a couple swift jabs to the man's gut and a quick uppercut, causing John to stumble back. Curt took his place, swinging more quickly than his partner, but with less force. Wes blocked a few of his jabs before kicking the man square in the chest, knocking him back slightly before following up with a spinning roundhouse kick to the side of his head that sent the man to the floor. Wes heard some of the spectators gasp in surprise and whistle in amazement at the quick move.

_I'll give 'em more to remember than that! _ John had recovered by then, charging at Wes from across the deck. Wes stood his ground before grabbing the charging man's shoulder, pulling himself over his back and rolling over the other hunter effortlessly. He dealt a swift kick to the still downed Curt, knocking the hunter aside before spinning around and punching John across the face. The hunter was stunned by the swift jab, allowing Wes to grab him by the collar and deal a powerful headbutt to his forehead. John clutched his head in pain as he stumbled back, and the dual blade wielder dropped him with a straight clothesline to the neck, knocking the man into a dazed heap on the floor.

A few footsteps behind him drew his attention away from his incapacitated adversary, and Wes quickly rolled to the side to avoid Curt's lunging punch. The man cursed in frustration before following after the dual blade user. Wes easily deflected a few more punches before striking the man in the gut and across the head in retaliation. Following up quickly, Wes grabbed the man's arm and, twisting his arm over his shoulder, flung the hunter over his back and through the air, landing him right on top of his partner. He soon pushed himself up again, but the weight of his body landing on him had rendered John incapacitated.

Curt grumbled in frustration before again engaging Wes, exchanging a few punches with each other. "Looks like you learned a bit, huh?" Wes remarked smugly after shoving the hunter back again, not showing a hint of exhaustion.

"Shut up, kid… I'm gonna wipe that damn smirk off your face!" He quickly closed the distance with Wes and attempted to strike him with a feint jab; the dual blade user easily saw the move coming though, blocking the strike with his forearm. A slight twinkle appeared in his blue eye, and instinct took over as Wes kneed Curt in the gut. Without breaking stride, Wes punched him across the face once, twice, three times, before finishing the man off with a fourth, more powerful jump punch, knocking him to the ground not far from where John lay across the deck. After several moments, the pair stopped trying to get to their feet and conceded the fight to Wes.

The others stared in amazement as the hunter walked over to them, not a single bead of sweat on his brow. "What? You guys look like you just saw me beat the shit out of those guys... Wait, you did!" Wes joked, laughing a bit as he got his swords back.

"First climbing, now fist fighting? Just where did you learn all this?" Viper asked, amazed. A wide grin crossed his face a moment later. "And when can you teach me some of them moves?"

"Lessons cost fifty gold per hour," the dual blade user replied sarcastically. "Seventy-five with disarming methods."

"Hey, Wes, aren't you forgetting something?" Snow asked, gesturing towards the four women who were quietly trying to creep away from them. Before they got far though, Frost stepped in front of them with his arms crossed, glaring down on them with a cold stare through his rather intimidating helmet. The four groaned a bit, knowing they had been caught and that they had to uphold their end of the bargain.

"Oh, right, thanks for reminding me. I think you all owe my boots some lip service, and try not to get any make-up on the leather; these are brand new!"

* * *

Not even a half hour later, the hunters began disembarking from the immense sandship that was now docked at a special shipyard inside of Loc Lac's walls, specially built for the _Righteous Law_. Fortunately, Wes had packed lightly, so there wasn't much he had to take off the ship. He chuckled a bit seeing two of the Gem sisters arguing with a Guild officer about offloading all of their equipment.

"Yo, Wes! Wait up a sec!" Viper said, jogging up to join him. "You weren't plannin' on leavin' me back there, were you? And here I thought we were friends!"

"Yeah, sorry about bailing out like that. I really didn't think it would have been a good idea to stay around for much longer anyways; chances are the Gem sisters are already plotting their revenge!" Wes replied a bit derisively. Viper snickered at the remark.

"Don't I know it. Still, what other surprises do you got? First, you can climb like a champ, next, you're able to beat the crap out of two veteran hunters without even breaking a sweat!"

"Again, like I said, I learned from the best." Wes glanced back, getting an odd feeling that they were being watched. Sure enough, he noticed a head of green hair farther back behind them. "Heads up, I think they're onto us."

"Ah, let it be. I doubt there's much they can do anyways. Not like they're gonna try and kill you over that; we're all on the same side here!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So, think we oughtta head inside the building? I think that's supposed to be headquarters," Wes said, motioning towards a large, multi-story tower with a large emblem emblazoned upon the façade. It looked brand new, as if it had been finished only a few days ago. It was actually one of the only buildings nearby the shipyard; it seemed an entire portion of a city district had been set aside for the sole purpose of acting as the Master Corps' base of operations. A high wall had been built around the area, with a large gate leading into the inner city a few hundred yards away from the building. There were several statues of hunters decorating the grounds before the building as well, each in a different pose and holding a different kind of weapon. They were all expertly chiseled; each one was stunningly lifelike, and looked as though they would suddenly walk away to hunt an epic beast. They all had plaques set before them as well, telling about the hunters whose visage they resembled.

"Looks like this has been planned for a really long time…" Viper remarked, gazing at the statues and the building.

"Indeed it has," a voice behind them said. Wes and Viper both spun around to face the man behind them, startled; neither had heard him approach. Wes noticed his black Guild uniform first, then his piercing crimson eyes.

"You're… the Corps Head, right? Balestra?" Viper asked, still somewhat surprised.

"It's Sir Balestra to you, boy. It'd be in both of your best interests to remember that," the man coldly replied. He looked between both of them sternly, as if trying to look inside their very souls, all the while keeping his hands behind his back in a very formal manner. He seemed to take particular interest in Wes, though, resting his gaze on the young hunter. "Ah, so you're the boy with the mismatched eyes… I've read great things about you, and I trust that your skills will be very beneficial in the assignments I have for you."

"…Exactly what kind of work does this refer to?" Wes asked, a bit warily. Now that he was speaking directly to the man, he noted the Balestra was extremely difficult to read. Between his crimson eyes and the scar over his right cheek, he seemed very ominous. The black uniform did little to help.

"Were you not paying attention to my speech? Typical of a child… It would be far easier for you to learn through experience than another lecture. Do realize I noted everyone you've both been associating with recently, so I know who you'll potentially work better with. Conversely, I know who will be the most problematic for you to get along with, so do not test me, boy."

"Doesn't seem like the most motivational speech, if you ask me," Viper remarked.

"I wasn't trying to be motivational; I was informing you both of what you should be prepared for. This will not be anything like your standard hunting jobs; what you experience will change you forever, be it for better or for worse. So, with this, I bid you good day." Without another word, the Corps Head turned and left the pair of hunters, heading towards the tall building before them.

"Well, that was… weird…" Wes remarked, watching the man as he went and noting how his stance remained roughly the same as it was when he had been addressing them.

"Yeah, no kidding. You'd think he'd be a bit, I dunno, nicer to us? Seemed more like a threat to me."

"Same here. Come on, no use just standing outside all day. Let's head inside."

"Right behind ya."

Wes and Viper jogged up to the front of the building and joined the other hunters who were entering. Wes had a hard time seeing over all the hunters congregating at the doors, despite his relatively tall stature, but was still able to spy Frost walk inside due to the long sword user's even taller height. No doubt Snow was with him as well; the two seemed practically inseparable. Still, there were far more hunters now than there had been on the ship. _They must have arrived on separate ships or come from the city._ It wasn't much longer before the dual blade user and the archer made their way into the structure as well.

Right from the start, Wes could tell that this was going to be like a second home to him. The entrance chamber was decorated with red flags hanging from the walls, displaying the Guild emblem in black print. A red carpet led from the door to the stairs on either end of the back of the room, lying over a light brown, recently polished wooden floor. Just like there would be in a tavern, there was a large board on the wall behind a counter between the two flights of stairs. A women in a blue Guild uniform stood behind the counter and smiled warmly at the hunters as they entered; the front chamber was large enough to accommodate all of them and still have plenty of room left over to spare.

"Welcome to your home away from home, hunters!" the woman said cheerfully. "I'll be your liaison for your employment in the Master Corps; my name's Sally, but you can all call me Sal. Now then, first order of business is room assignments! I'm sure that something you'll all like to hear is that everyone gets a room to themselves. All of you received envelopes containing a pair of keys; one opens your cabin on board the _Righteous Law, _and one opens your room here. It should be a simple task to find the room you were assigned; it's engraved on the key and the front of the door.

"The building is divided into ten levels, counting the one you're on now; this is level zero, the ground floor. As you can probably guess, each floor is a higher level than the last. Levels one through seven are all set aside for you, and any floor higher is reserved for Guild meetings and officers. Each room is fully furnished, has a bathroom, and is stocked with all the essentials you'll need for your stay here. There are already a multitude of hunters who have settled into their rooms, so all in all, the total number of hunters we have employed in the Master Corps is eighty. I do believe that's about it, so again, welcome to the Master Corps, and thank you all for accepting your invitations!"

"Hot damn, this sounds way better than my old hut!" Viper whistled, impressed at the description. "Let's see here… I'm up on level six. What about you, Wes?"

"Looks like I'm on level seven, lucky me," he replied, holding up a key engraved with a seventy-seven. "Think they built an elevator too?"

"Actually, I think there's something here that works like that," the archer pointed out gesturing at an open door that led to a small chamber filling up with hunters. "…But chances are, we won't make it on this time."

"Ah, whatever, not like a flight of stairs ever killed anyone. C'mon, let's check out these rooms of ours, eh?" The pair began to make their way up the stairs, ascending higher and higher up the tall building. Viper stopped the floor below Wes, his room being on that level, while the dual blade user made it up the final flight of stairs and walked towards his room. Before he opened the door though, he noticed he was being watched. "Y'know, if you're gonna hide, at least do it right."

He watched as Sapphire stepped out from behind a large potted plant, smiling a little bit. "Wow, you've got a pretty sharp eye, don'tcha?"

"I've been told that, yeah. What's up? You're not here to try and get back at me for earlier, are you? Cause I won that bet fair and square."

"No, no, nothing like that; my room's on this floor," she explained, pointing at a door with a seventy-two engraved on it. "I just heard you say you were on this floor too, so I waited for you up here."

"…What, you're stalking me now? Jeez, we met one day ago!" he snarked, chuckling as her face flushed red.

"No, I- What?! Do you seriously think that?!"

"It's called sarcasm, cobalt head. Are the others on this floor too? I don't want to have to wake up every morning to them trying to get kill me."

"No, they're all on the floors below this one. But who're you calling cobalt head, blondie?!" she retorted, though it didn't seem as angry as it did playful.

"Well, what did I say about calling me that?" Wes shot back. "Last I checked, blonde actually made sense on someone's head. Blue, not so much."

"…Not like I had much choice in the matter, but whatever," she replied with a short sigh. "Alright, I'm going to check out my room. I'll see ya later, Wes!"

"Uh, yeah, sure." He watched as she quickly entered her room and shut the door. _Seems someone's trying to hide something… Ah, whatever, not like it matters much to me anyways. _The dual blade user entered his room and gasped a bit upon seeing just how nice it was. A large white bed canopy bed lay in the center of the room, pushed back against the wooden walls of the room. A fine darkwood desk was pushed into the corner next to the bed, and there was a nightstand on the opposite side of the mattress. Upon checking the desk, Wes found several sheets of paper and some writing utensils. A large window with a red curtain revealed an amazing view of the whole of Loc Lac City, including the massive tusk protruding from the oasis in the center of the city. A door nearby the room's entrance led into a well-stocked bathroom, with a functioning shower, sink, and toilet.

_Wow… if every room's like this, how much did it cost to put this all together? This is stuff they'd normally save for nobles, for crying out loud! _Still, Wes enjoyed his good fortune of having a nice room to relax in, so he didn't complain about it. He got settled in relatively quickly before going to the desk and getting a sheet of paper out and seating himself, beginning to write a letter back home to Moga.

_Dear Ma and Pa,_

_It's hardly been two days and we've already arrived in Loc Lac. I'll tell you, the trip went faster than anything either of you have probably seen. Here's something that'll really surprise you, pa: your old apprentice, Dustin, turned out to be the captain of the ship! Imagine that, eh? _

_So far, it's been better than awesome over here. I just wish I could show you the room I got; it's frickin' huge compared to my old one back there. Don't expect me to move back anytime soon! _

_I've made plenty of fast friends on board as well. There's a bow user named Viper I got to know almost as soon as I boarded, and he seems like a great guy. There are some twins I met from the Tundra named Frost and Snow as well; Frost doesn't say much, but Snow can really talk up a storm! Course, I guess you were kinda right about my eye, too; the ladies love the color. Hell, I already got four kisses!_

_Oh, and one other thing; turns out all those hand to hand fighting lessons paid off, pa. I got to wipe the floor with a pair of thugs earlier, and I made a pretty good sum of money off a bet too. I'll send some home to you two so you'll be able to feed yourselves at night._

_I'll be sure to send more letters with updates on how things are going over here. I imagine my first assignment ought to be coming up soon, so I'll definitely have a lot more to write about next time. Until then, stay sharp, and good hunting!_

_Wes_

No sooner had he written the last line when he heard a knock on his door, and got up to see who it was. "Yo, Wes, it's me!" Viper called from the other side of the door. "Frost, Snow and I were gonna take a walk around the city. You want to come along?"

"Yeah, sure, just a sec," he answered, sealing the letter in an envelope and addressing it. He carried the note out along with a small pouch full of coins that was to be sent with it.

"Writin' letters already? Don't tell me you're homesick!" Viper laughed jokingly.

"Not at all; the room I got here is about five times bigger than the one back home. I just promised I'd send letters every now and then. But dude, get this; one of the Gem sisters is right across from me," Wes said, motioning towards Sapphire's door. "Think she might try and kill me?"

"Nah, I think the blue haired one is pretty safe, actually," the archer replied as they walked down the stairs. "It's Emerald you've got to watch out for; she really likes to hold grudges. Amethyst is kinda iffy, and Ruby doesn't seem too bad, but still, you're lucky you've got Sapphire instead of one of them."

"I take it you got one of them on your floor?"

"Two, actually. Amethyst and Emerald. Just my luck, eh?"

"Hey, cheer up; you got a choice between 'em, don'tcha?"

"Ah, shut it."

The two finally made it to the ground floor where the twins were waiting for them; both were still armored and carried their weapons, like Wes and Viper did. "Hey guys! What floors did they put you on?" Snow asked, greeting them.

"I'm on seven, and Viper's on six," Wes replied. "What about you two?"

"We're both on level four. Unfortunately, we ran into Ruby on our way up. Turns out she's on our floor too."

"You think that's bad?!" Viper replied. "I got two of 'em, for the love of-!"

"Alright, alright, calm down, bow-boy. Let's get going," Wes laughed, heading towards the door. Viper gave him a slightly irritated look, but followed after the dual blade user along with Snow and Frost. The four stepped out into the courtyard below the desert sun and made their way toward the gate leading into the city. Some other hunters had the same idea as they did and were going out into the city as well.

"Wow, it's really hot here," the huntress remarked, wiping her brow. "I guess I'm too used to the Tundra." Frost grunted to signify his agreement with the statement. Still, it didn't seem like even the heat would make him take his helmet off.

"Eh, it could be worse. It's a bit dry for me," Viper commented. "How 'bout you, blondie?"

"Don't you start with that too!" the dual blade user snapped. "What the hell's wrong with having blonde hair anyways? It's not like I'm the only one here with that color hair."

"Well, until we get more to go off of, that's your nickname," Snow laughed. Viper chuckled a bit while Wes sighed in response.

"We could just leave it at Wes, y'know."

"But where's the fun in that?"

The four continued to make their way through the city, browsing nearby shops and taverns while exploring the district a bit. Throughout the area, The Master Corps building was always in sight, being the tallest structure in the surrounding area, which mostly consisted of one to two story houses and shops. Wes dropped the letter off at a post office nearby the armory; there were plenty of Felyne couriers he could've asked, but his father was allergic to Felyne fur, and that was one of the negative traits the dual sword user had inherited from him. Before too long, the sun began to sink lower over the horizon, and the four decided to head back.

"Well, I think this is already turning out to be a great idea," Snow said, clearly very pleased with all she had seen. "The shops are all well stocked, the smith is a master artisan, there's plenty of good restaurants nearby… I couldn't ask for anything better!" Frost nodded in agreement with his sister's statement.

"Not to mention the area seems to be pretty nice," Wes said, looking around. "Everything's clean, no one seems too worried about crime-" No sooner had the last word left his lips than a man dressed in dark clothes with a face covering ran between the hunters, snatching the dual blade user's wallet as he went!

"You were saying?" Viper said quickly. Almost immediately, Wes took off after the thief.

"Hey, get the hell back here!" The hunter chased the man through the streets, shoving his way past the people who inadvertently got in the way as he pursued the thief. Wes chased him for several minutes, following doggedly despite the thief's attempts to lose him. Wes noticed the man turn a corner sharply, and thinking fast, Wes jumped and caught a sign above a shop door at the same corner, using the sign to swing around the turn quickly before letting go and landing with a roll. Wes immediately broke into a full out sprint down the alley he had chased the man to, quickly catching up to the tiring thief and tackling him to the ground.

"No, no! Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't want to steal, but I had to!" the thief begged, almost hysterically. "You have to understand, my family lives in this district; we have almost nothing…" Wes stood up, picking his wallet up as well before glancing off to the side. Two small children were hiding in the shadows not ten feet from where he stood. Looking around more, the hunter noted that the chase had taken him much farther than he thought; he was well into the eastern district of Loc Lac, which was widely known as the poorest section of the city. "Please, they're all I have…"

The hunter looked down on the man groveling at his feet before extending a hand out to him. "…C'mon, get up. No one deserves to live like this." The thief looked up at him gratefully and took his hand, and Wes helped the man to his feet. The dual blade user opened the wallet before handing the man a decent sum of coins. "Here, it's not exactly a fortune, but it's still something. Use it to try and get a better life for your family, alright?"

"Th… Thank you sir! Oh, thank you! You don't understand how much this means to us!"

"Hey, don't mention it. But like I said, it's only a start. Don't live your life getting handouts; try to improve your life enough so that you can give 'em instead."

"I promise you, sir, I will. Might I ask for your name though? I'd like to repay you one day, if at all possible."

"You don't have to, but I appreciate it. And I'm Wes, good to meet you," he replied, shaking the man's hand.

"My name is Adrian, and I am forever in your debt, Sir Wes," the man said, bowing slightly in gratitude.

"Alright, you don't have to go that far with it. I've gotta head back now, but remember what I told you, alright?"

"I will, sir, I will! Oh, thank you for everything!" Wes smiled before turning and walking away, giving Adrian a thumbs up as he went. After rounding the corner at the shop he had turned at, Wes realized just how lost he was; the chase had spanned at least two districts.

_Great… good thing HQ is big enough to be seen from any of the nearby areas… _Wes turned towards the shop and, taking a running start, propelled himself up the wall of the stone building, grabbing onto a wooden post used to support the roof before pulling himself onto the dry stone roof. He looked far into the distance at the Master Corps HQ building as the sun sank below the wall behind it, painting the city in a dull yellowish-red glow. The hunter looked about the city, taking in all that he could, amazed by just how large the whole world seemed now that he was on his own. With a look of determination, he leapt from the roof he stood on to the building adjacent to it and began sprinting across the buildings towards HQ, making it back before the sun fully set.

"Ah, there he is!" Viper said upon seeing him return. "You get your wallet back? Give that thief the old what-for?"

"I guess you could say I gave him something alright," Wes answered with a short laugh.

"Well, at least you got it back; you were gone for a while," Snow remarked.

"Well, I'm back now. What more is there to say? C'mon, I'd say it's late enough, and I'd like to get some shut eye in these new beds we got. I get the feeling the real job's gonna start soon…"

* * *

**_Author Notes: _**_Whew, so far this is the longest chapter to anything I've ever written!__ More than 10,000 words this time around, but I expect some of my later chapters are going to be even more lengthy. Like I said, I'm going all out with this one! I do hope you all can see some noticeable differences between the new main characters and the old ones, though. Speaking of, as I'm sure you already guessed, the old characters are still very much involved in the story, but you won't hear too much about them... yet._

**_Playing: MH3U, AC4, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance_**

**_Listening to: The Offspring, Wolfmother, Avenged Sevenfold_**

**_Watching: Red vs Blue, RWBY, The Walking Dead_**

**_Reading: YOUR MIND! _**


	3. Chapter 3

The Master Corps

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated._**

**Edited by: dashboardgecko**

* * *

Chapter 3 –The Games Begin…

Wes awoke early the next morning, feeling very well rested; he couldn't remember sleeping so well in a long time. He pushed himself out of bed, heading over to the bathroom and washing off before garbing himself in the suit his father had given to him. Feeling satisfied with his appearance, the hunter grabbed his dual swords and left his room, making his way down to the ground floor. It seemed he was the first one up; the only other person in sight was Sally the Guild liaison, who was finishing organizing some papers on her desk. She noticed him as he walked down the last flight of stairs, giving him a warm smile.

"Well, someone's up early! You got somewhere to be, hunter?"

"Nah, I just like to get going earlier. I don't really like to be late, so I figure being early is smarter," he replied.

"That's a good way of looking at it! Most hunters I knew liked to sleep in late when off of the job," she said. "Guess you don't take after your father in that regard; he was late to almost every reunion we invited him to!"

"You know my pa too?"

"Of course I do, Wes," the woman laughed. "Dustin told me about you yesterday! You've got your parents' eyes; both of them, it seems!"

"Yeah, it definitely sets me apart from everyone else, that's for sure. But tell me, how do you know so much about hunters?" Wes asked. "I mean, being a liaison and all."

"Actually, believe it or not, I used to be a hunter myself. I was a pretty crack-shot with a bowgun, but after Dustin's injury, I decided to retire too. It just didn't feel right hunting without him, if that makes any sense."

"Ah, so I'm guessing that makes you the fourth hunter in their group? I already met Dustin, Connor, and Lyle yesterday on the ride here. They said they were all scouted; same for you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I moved up through the ranks of filing papers and management issues faster than I did with my hunter's rank, truth be told," the liaison replied with a short chuckle. "Connor had always been interested in medicine, but he decided to really pursue it after Dustin's injury too. He's a pretty amazing doctor, I'll tell you. As for Lyle… He's always been a bit of a pain, but he's a good guy. He stuck with hunting the longest out of the four of us; he's technically still hunting, but he's working as security chief for us right now."

"Seems you all found a spot for yourselves," Wes said, taking a seat on a bench beneath one of the red Guild flags.

"I guess you could say that, yeah," Sal remarked, laughing to herself. She definitely seemed happy with what she was doing, at least.

"So, about the job… Exactly when do we start with these 'assignments'? Balestra seemed to think it'd be a pick-up-and-do-it job for us, but I didn't catch much of his speech."

"Well, it is true that the first assignments we were given came in today, but there's only a couple. Plus, all the hunters are pre-picked for each one, so I'm not sure how likely it is that you're one of them. Still, I kinda like you, so I'll let you take a look at the jobs," the liaison answered, pulling out a few sheets of paper from a file and setting them on the table. The dual blade user got to his feet and walked over to them, reading over each one carefully.

_Job Assignment #3: Volcanic Activity; hunting_

_Several monsters have been sighted around the Volcano G-Rank area. Reports indicate that an Agnaktor, a Rathalos, an Uragaan, and a Stygian Zinogre are embroiled in a turf war with each other, and there is little chance for it to end in a timely manner. Previous three hunter intervention attempts have met with failure. _

_Urgency: Crucial_

_Monster presence: Ensured_

_Hunters assigned: Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Amethyst_

_Guess the girl squad has a rough assignment ahead of them… _Wes thought to himself, moving on to the next paper.

_Job Assignment #2: Desert Desertion; hunting_

_A Sand Barioth has been attacking merchant caravans for the past several weeks, cutting off major supply lines to the city. Numerous hunting parties have been sent in to deal with the threat, but every attempt has failed. Target monster is said to exhibit strange habits unseen in other creatures of its species, though additional information is unavailable._

_Urgency: Important_

_Monster presence: Known_

_Hunters assigned: Curt, Finch, John, Orlan_

_Curt and John, eh? Wonder if those two have recovered from the beating I gave them? _The hunter chuckled a bit to himself before continuing to the last sheet.

_Job Assignment #1: Southern Island Ruins; Exploration & Retrieval_

_Analysis of the structures in the southern isles indicate that a ruin holding a vast wealth of knowledge important in the furthering of technological advances. State of the ruins is unknown, but they are confirmed to still be intact. At least five relics should be recovered, and more will be met with substantial rewards._

_Side Note: An ancient magma ruby is believed to be located here. Successful location and retrieval of said jewel will double the reward earned._

_Urgency: Important_

_Monster Presence: Potential_

_Hunters assigned: Wes, Snow, Viper, Frost_

Upon seeing his name, Wes immediately grabbed the sheet and read it over a bit more closely. "Looks like I do have an assignment after all," he remarked, taking note of his friends' names on the list as well. "But what does this Urgency section mean? And monster presence?"

"Well, lucky you, looks like you've got job number one! Let's see here… Basically, urgency describes how important the assignment is. We split urgency up into four levels: Unimportant, Necessary, Important, and Crucial. If an assignment is crucial, it means it's extremely important to not only complete ASAP, but it's extremely rewarding as well. However, it's also far more dangerous than anything else we have here. Don't worry about your job though; you have an exploration assignment, so there shouldn't be much too really stop you."

"I'm guessing that's what monster presence means then?"

"Spot on. We split that one up into four categories too: Low, Potential, Known, and Ensured. Basically, through our research, we determined if large monsters would be present in the area during the jobs. Some were pretty obvious, but others... well, we could only do the best with what we had. If more than one monster has been sighted, then the assignment will have an Ensured presence."

"Alright, I think I understand," Wes replied. "Kind of a lot of sorting for a few jobs though."

"Tell me about it. Everything is predetermined, so the choice of hunters isn't always going to be the same. You might be with your friends today, but in another day or so you could be partnered with your worst enemy, or at least, as bad of an enemy as you could make here."

"Doesn't seem to make sense; isn't it easier to work with people you know? Why split it up so-" Wes's stomach cut him off as it growled rather loudly, embarrassing him a bit while Sal laughed in amusement.

"Missed a meal, didja?"

"…Yeah, kinda. There was an incident with my wallet yesterday, and I forgot to get dinner."

"Well, not to worry," a voice said from behind. Wes turned to see Dustin enter the building through the front doors, carrying a large bag with him. The captain walked set the bag on the counter and gave Sal a quick kiss on the cheek before beginning to open it up. Whatever was inside smelled delicious and only served to make Wes' mouth water more. "Don't worry, Wes, I bought plenty. Help yourself." Several individually wrapped packages containing fresh made food were inside, and the dual blade user hungrily grabbed one before working on unwrapping his breakfast.

Before he had gotten far though, he heard a door far upstairs open and immediately slam shut, and several rapid footsteps thumping down the stairs. Hardly a few seconds later, Viper stormed into the front hall, looking about crazily; he looked as though he had just climbed out of bed, wearing dark green night clothes and with very unkempt hair.

"Viper? What the hell-?"

"Where's the food!?" he demanded. Seeing the bag, he immediately went and grabbed a few packages before tearing the wrapping off the meal and devouring the entire thing in a matter of three bites. Wes hadn't even opened his food as the archer dug into his next meal. "Hmm? Oh, hey, Wes."

"...Hey? Dude, you just barreled down here, stole some food, ate it before anyone could react, and now you're saying 'hey'."

"Don't judge me, I like to eat." Sally and Dustin had merely watched the exchange with confused expressions before shrugging and getting some of the meals out for themselves.

"Well, it doesn't matter much, but Lyle's going to pitch a fit about getting a smaller breakfast," Dustin sighed. "Didn't think I'd ever meet someone who likes food more than him. Except maybe for Hugh, but they are related…"

"Viper, it looks like we got the first job assignment available," Wes said, finishing his breakfast sandwich and showing the paper to the archer. Viper grabbed the sheet out of his hand and read it over quickly, nodding as he scanned the lines.

"Seems easy enough to get. And the twins are coming along too; go figure. Still, I was hoping more for a hunt, not an adventure into some musky old booby-trapped ruin."

"Y'never know, there still could be something nearby. Maybe there's a monster waiting for us there. Or maybe it's haunted!" the dual blade user joked.

"Want me to give him the low-down too, Wes?" Sally asked, chuckling a little as she saw the archer give them both confused looks.

"What's she talkin' about, bud?"

"Nothing, I'll tell you later. Dustin, when do we leave for this assignment?"

"A couple hours from now. There are a few more ships under the Corps that you'll be using, though. The _Righteous Law _isn't exactly a vessel used for hunts and assignments; it's more of a secondary, mobile base. Transportation to assignments is what the airship field is for; those ships are specifically designed for speed, so they're even faster than the _Law_."

"Well, why don't we wake those two up and get a move on?" Viper asked, eagerly getting to his feet. "I mean, come on, why wait on those two if we're both set to go, am I right?"

"…Not really, Viper. Haven't you even taken a look at yourself?" Wes replied, smirking as the archer looked down at the night clothing he was still garbed in.

"…Well, crap. I'll be right back." The dual blade user chuckled as the archer hurried upstairs again to get ready.

"Well, if there's one trait I see you've inherited from York, it's the ability to make friends with the strangest people," Dustin laughed. "Alright, I'm gonna take the rest of these up to the others. I'll catch you later, hun." With that, the captain got on the elevator with the rest of the food, giving Wes a confident smile as the door before him closed and the machine took him to the upper floors.

"Well, I can see why he's so friendly with you right from the start, kiddo," Sal said with a smile. "I can really see how you're related to York."

Wes sighed, getting a little irritated that his father was once again becoming a part of the conversation. "Y'know, I'm going to make people hear about me because of my skills, not my pa's. Then I won't be hearing about him as much; this is my story!"

"I'm sure you'll surpass him," the liaison replied with a chuckle.

"Well, I think I'm going to take a look around outside a bit while I'm waiting for everyone else to get up. Get to know the area better, y'know? Thanks for the info, Sal. I'll see you around."

"Anytime, Wes! I'm always happy to help! Have a good time!"

The hunter stepped outside, taking in the cool morning air; the sun hadn't risen high enough to completely shine over the walls of Loc Lac, meaning the desert heat hadn't reached the lower halves of the buildings. He took a walk towards the airfields. The previous day, the area had been empty, and he had ignored the space, but now there were about a dozen ships all lined up perfectly in a row on the field. Each had a black blimp with red sails, and a black Guild standard emblazoned upon the top sail. None of them were particularly large, meant only for quick transportation.

_Wonder how they got all these here without making a noise… _he wondered, gazing at the ships from a distance.

He turned to head into the city before stopping quickly; he had almost walked straight into one of the statues. He paused, however, feeling something... familiar about the stature, and looked up to inspect the sculpture more closely. _I recognize that suit,__ but it isn't standard hunting gear… wait, could this be…?_ The hunter's suspicions were confirmed as he read the plaque below the proud statue, and he laughed as he looked up at the likeness of his father again.

**York**

**A Hunter Whose Unorthodox Choices in Equipment and Weapons, Along with Technological Inventions, Revolutionized the Modern Hunting World and Became Known as The Finest Hunter of His Generation.**

"Can't say it looks quite like him now, but I can definitely see what the artist was going for," Wes chuckled to himself. "Just you watch, pa... I'll show you just how much better I can be than you were."

"Hey, Wes! Whatcha doin' over there!?" The hunter turned towards the front of the building, where Viper stood outside the doors. "C'mon, the twins are about ready, and Balestra wants to give us a quick sendoff speech!"

"Be right there!" Wes called back. He gave one last look at the statue before heading back to the building and going inside.

"That rock look like someone you know?" Viper joked, walking with him.

"Just a little, yeah," Wes replied sarcastically.

The pair joined Frost and Snow, who both stood waiting in the front hall for the Corps Head to arrive. The twins had their weapons with them, but Wes noted that instead of holding the scabbard across his back, Frost kept the long sword sideways on his belt, similar to how Snow held her short sword. It was a rather unusual way of holding the blade, but Wes knew that he couldn't ask Frost about his reasoning. Before they could even greet each other though, the elevator doors opened, and Balestra stepped out of the small chamber. He gave them all a long, thoughtful stare before finally speaking.

"And so it begins… I feel obliged to inform you all that setting up this endeavor was a very long, arduous process," he said, addressing the hunters who stood before him. "I've spent the last decade campaigning for the development of an elite group meant to tackle the most difficult of tasks and to help keep our advancements into the future running smoothly. I do not wish to see it crippled just as it begins to rise, do you understand? This is a fairly simple task… I expect nothing but perfection from all of you. So, I bid you- Wes, Viper, Frost, and Snow- good luck, and good day."

The four watched silently as the man silently returned to the elevator and returned to the top floor, listening to the quiet sound of the machinery within moving the platform up.

"…He's not exactly a motivational speaker, is he?" Snow commented, clearly confused by Balestra's tone.

"I said the same thing," Viper said with a quick shrug. "Guess we'd better get going. Don't want to keep his lordship waiting, right?"

"Yeah, no kidding."

The four hunters left the building and made their way across the airfield to the one ship that was prepped and ready for takeoff. The pilot was a short, stocky man with a thin mustache and a bald head, and he gave them all a rather strange grin as they all boarded the small ship.

"So, yer all the first ones, eh? Alright, it'd be best fer you all t' head below deck; there're parachutes for you t' put on inside. If ya be hopin' t' make it out of this alive, you'd best grab one as soon as you see it and get it strapped on." The man went inside a closed room around the steering wheel and opened the doors below deck with a lever inside the cabin. The four hunters reluctantly entered the chamber, jumping a little as the door closed and locked behind them.

"Okay, usually I'd say that's a bad sign," Wes commented, and the others nodded in agreement. They saw four bags hung up on the walls, and following the pilot's advice, they strapped the chutes on and waited. There were a few windows which they could look out of, but apart from those there was nothing else to see in the small wooden chamber. Suddenly, the entire ship lurched, almost throwing both Wes and Viper to the ground. Snow almost fell too, but Frost quickly grabbed her arm to stop her, the tall hunter not having budged an inch.

A strong pressure filled the room as the ship took off, quickly ascending high into the air at a speed far faster than anything they had ever seen. It was only about half a minute of flying before the airship had flown over the whole of Loc Lac, turning towards the south and lurching forward again as it picked up even more speed.

"Damn, how can this thing move so fast!?" Viper exclaimed, laughing a bit as he looked out one of the windows at the desert below shifting past.

"**Inferno sacs and Slagtoth Oil, son!" **The hunters jumped at the sound, looking around for the source. Wes saw a tube like object with a wide opening on the end, which seemed to run through the ceiling and above deck. The pilot's voice seemed to echo from within the tube. **"Noticed the communication pipe, eh? I can hear what goes on in there, ya know! Listen up, it'll take maybe twenty minutes t' get t' where we need to be. Once we're above the island, I'll drop you all off. You get a six hour timeframe t' work with. If all goes well, you'll be home in time fer dinner! And if ya finish early, pop a red hunting flare, and I'll be right there! Make sure ya got those chutes on nice and tight; at the height you're droppin' from, you won't survive without it!"**

"We're all set, no worries," Snow answered back. "Guess all that's left to do is wait."

The four waited anxiously to arrive; occasionally, Wes or Snow would try to start up a conversation, but the exchanges were very brief. Viper seemed too tense and excited to care about anything but the job, and Frost simply stood crossing his arms and staring straight ahead. After what seemed like an eternity to the hot-blooded hunters, the pilot's voice sounded again.

"**Alright you four, get ready t' jump! We're right above the island!"**

"Wait, jump? Whattya mean, 'jump'? We're inside the ship!" Wes pointed out, also noting the ship didn't seem to be slowing down whatsoever.

"**I know that, kid! I'm just tellin' ya not to be too surprised! Bon voyage, bucko!" **

Almost as soon as the pilot finished speaking, the floor disappeared from below the hunters; the floor panels had flipped open, spilling the hunters out of the cargo bay!

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Viper yelled as they all began to plummet wildly towards the island below. "THIS IS HOW THEY DROP US OFF?!"

Wes quickly regained his composure and righted himself in midair, spreading his arms and legs to slow his descent a bit. Viper eventually did the same, while Frost and Snow had done so already. "I guess it works!" the dual blade user shouted back. He had to admit, despite the fact that this was quite possibly the craziest thing he'd ever done in his entire life, it was very enjoyable for Wes. Viper and Snow seemed to start enjoying the view as well, but Frost kept his gaze centered on the island below.

After falling for a few moments, the four opened up their parachutes, immediately slowing their descents to a more leisurely pace and allowing them to drift down the remaining hundred feet to a large clearing on a cliffside. Wes landed first, detaching his parachute before the others and landing with a quick roll to break his fall. Viper did the same, while Snow and Frost landed without removing the chutes until they were safely on the ground. The island looked a lot like the others in the area: tall mountains, deep valleys, and abundant forms of nature all around. Numerous trees lined the edge of the area, while flowers, herbs, and shrubs grew around a shallow stream that ran through the area.

"Any of you see anything that looked like the ruins?" Wes asked, looking at the different paths they could take out of the small clearing. Viper and Snow both shook their heads; they'd been too caught up with the view to remember to check. Frost, though, merely pointed towards a path leading towards the east of the island and began walking towards it. "…I guess he did."

The hunters followed the long sword user as he led them across the small island. There were next to no monsters nearby, aside from a few Altaroth that were bringing some mushrooms back to their nest. The foliage was identical to that of the other surrounding isles; Moga Village was attached to one such land mass, and probably wasn't too far from where they were now.

Eventually, the woods opened up to a long beach that stretched for a few hundred yards in either direction. Farther down the beach, a stone structure could be seen, but couldn't be made out very well.

"You saw that from how high we were?" Viper asked incredulously. "I'm an archer and I couldn't even see that!"

"Frost's always had a good eye. He could find an icicle in a pile of snow if he tried," Snow remarked jokingly. The others laughed as they continued walking towards the structure. For some reason, though, Wes started getting a strange feeling that they weren't nearly as safe as they'd initially thought.

"…Something isn't right here…" he noted, stopping to look about the area. The others stopped as well, turning back to face him.

"What do you mean?" Snow asked cautiously.

"This sand is damp. Look at where the tide is right now: there's no way it could've come in and gone out that quickly. The size of the wet area means that something really big- a leviathan, probably- was here not even ten minutes ago. And look: you can see that the sand was moved a lot around that area. Whatever was here may have jumped into the ocean."

"…Well, damn," Viper commented, taking in all that Wes had described. "Not half bad on the detective work, Sherlock. Do you think it'll come back?"

"It might... then again, maybe we got lucky and it swam away."

"How likely is that?" Snow asked, gazing out towards the sea. "There're only so many leviathans that live in this area…"

Before anyone could answer, a loud splash drew their attention to the coast, where a large blue creature had flung itself from the ocean, through the air and straight towards them! The four instinctively split up to avoid the beast as it slammed into the beach where they had stood moments before, launching sand into the air in every direction as it slid past. Wes recovered quickly and took note of the beast's characteristics as it stopped. _Long, flat neck; dorsal spikes; brownish red horns… Electricity…_

"Looks like this Lagiacrus wants to crash our party!"

"Guess that's as much an answer as anything!" Viper shouted, whipping his bow into a ready position. "Let's have some fun!"

The leviathan quickly spun around to face the hunters as they regrouped, but in doing so caught several arrows in its neck. It growled in anger as electricity began to build up in its dorsal spikes and mouth, and with a short roar, it launched a concentrated ball of lightning at the hunters. Before it reached the four, however, Frost stepped between the projectile and the others, drawing his long sword slightly from its scabbard and holding it up before him.

"Frost, what're you doing!? You can't block that with a long sword!" Wes called out in a mix of surprise, worry, and confusion.

"Don't worry about him, Wes," Snow said with a quick wink. "Just watch." The blast impacted with the masked hunter's sword, and a large bolt of lightning seemed to erupt from the deep blue sword, absorbing the blast into the edge of the blade and dissipating without a trace. Viper and Wes were dumbstruck as Snow giggled a little. "He's modified his sword a lot since he had it made; it has a lot of surprises!"

"Let's talk about your brother and his showing off later, lady," Viper remarked. "We've got a serpent that needs killin', and I've got a quiver full of arrows waiting to do just that!"

The archer broke into a sprint towards the leviathan, nocking several arrows onto the bowstring and pulling back as far as he could. A red flash seemed to form around him, and at that precise moment he flung every arrow in a wide arch towards the Lagiacrus as it prepared another bolt for him. The arrows seemed to turn in midair and throw themselves at the monster's head, burying the arrows into the creature's mouth and closing its gaping maw. The Lagiacrus hadn't enough time to stop its attack, and tried to launch the bolt with its mouth shut! The metal arrows pinning its mouth down conducted the electrical currents the beast had tried to fire, sending the shock through its entire body instead.

While the creature was stunned by the voltage, Wes charged at the beast, drawing one of his dual blades as he neared. The Lagiacrus recovered as he came near, lifting itself up on its hind legs and trying to crush him beneath its bulk. With a fluid side step, Wes dodged out of the way, slashed its neck, and then leapt onto its back! Holding onto one of the beast's dorsal spikes with his free hand, the dual blade user began to slash and stab into the creature's back repeatedly, each strike separating hide from scale and drawing vast amounts of blood from its body. The blade of Wes' sword hardly slowed as it pierced flesh and cleaved spikes, the sharp blade giving off resounding rings of metal against scale with every cut.

The leviathan roared in pain the whole time, shaking its body to try and shake the hunter from its back. The arrows pinning its mouth shut eventually gave way from the Lagiacrus' struggling, separating the roof of its mouth from its jaw. It then began to tense its body up as if to let off a full body electrical attack!

Wes anticipated the creature's intent and leapt off of its back just as easily as he had gotten on, landing with a roll and regaining his footing. However, the attack never came; the beast shook its head in confusion as it tried to release the voltage from its spikes, hardly generating more than a spark. _It must have short circuited itself from the shock of its mouth attack… Who would've guessed? _He pulled himself away from his thoughts and leapt out of the way as the Lagi pushed its back legs into the sand and barreled towards him, kicking up wet sand in all directions as it slid past.

"Wes, you were in the way of my shot! Watch it next time, eh?" Viper called out, loosing an arrow that he had nocked some time ago at the leviathan. The creature had slid to a stop nearby Frost and Snow, and the short-sword-wielding huntress started attacking the Lagiacrus' neck and chest with her icy blade. The huntress moved fluidly, swinging her spiked Barioth sword as if she were embroiled in a graceful, deadly ballet dance. Each slice of her sword was followed by a quick burst of ice, flash-freezing the wounds her sword caused. The Lagiacrus twisted its neck to try and bite the huntress, but she reacted quickly, stepping back and letting the side of its head bounce off of her shield and attacking its neck again. While her attacks didn't seem to do much damage, Snow was completely drawing the creature's attention to herself.

Frost seemed to be holding back away from the fight, though, standing a short distance away, his sword still sheathed but in his grasp all the same. He watched his sister's attacks with a cold focus through his helmet. Viper gave him a questioning look as he nocked another few arrows onto his bow. "Yo, Frosty! You gonna do something, or what?!"

Snow dealt another trio of swift cuts before rolling away as the leviathan swiped at her with its claw. Wes noted that the swift combo the huntress had delivered left behind a triangle shaped wound on the Lagiacrus' neck. As Snow rolled away, Frost suddenly broke out into a swift sprint towards the beast, bringing his still sheathed blade to his side and gripping top of the scabbard tightly. The beast began to lunge at the long sword user with its bloodied maw, but Frost effortlessly dodged, leaving the triangle shaped cut on its neck right above him.

With a quick spin, Frost drew his long sword with a seemingly explosive force, releasing the blue blade with unparalleled speed and slicing clean through the whole of the leviathan's neck! In the same move, the long sword user sheathed his blade and dropped into a crouch, and the Lagiacrus' body went limp and collapsed behind him, while its severed head fell to the beach before him.

"…I guess that's something all right…" Viper commented, dumbstruck at the abrupt end to the fight. "How the hell did he pull that off?"

"Like I said, Frost's sword is pretty special," Snow said as the four regrouped.

"Special?" Wes asked, gazing at the dismembered head of the Lagiacrus. "There's got to be more to it than that. He took its entire freakin' head off!"

"How about we talk about it after the job," she replied. "It'd take too long to explain, and we'd better get those treasures before the ship comes back to get us."

"Ah, come on! We've got time! Who wants to work on their tan?" Viper asked jokingly, pulling some of his arrows free from the leviathan's corpse. He yelped a bit when one of the projectiles shocked him, drawing looks of amusement from the others. "What? No takers?"

"It'd make more sense to relax after we finished. C'mon, let's see what's inside," Wes said, turning towards the entrance to the ruins and jogging over to them with the others. The four arrived at the ruins, with Wes gazing down the cracked stone steps that led to the interior. "What do you think's inside?"

"One way to find out," Viper replied, taking the first step down into the ruins. Snow and Wes looked at each other and shrugged before following, with Frost being the last to enter behind them. The descent into the ruins took only a minute, but the stairway was very dark and damp, which made the going slow. Eventually the hunters arrived in a large chamber, or at least, they thought they had. The echoing of their footsteps was the only clue they had about the room's size.

"Anyone got a torch or a lamp?" Wes asked, feeling around in the dark for a wall. His hand brushed against a rough scaly surface that quickly moved away from him.

"Hey! Who did that?" Viper's voice resounded throughout the room in confusion. A dull thud was heard, and a groan of pain followed the noise of wood clattering and rolling on the ground. "Oww…"

"Viper? Wes? You two alright?" Snow asked, seemingly across the room. "I don't have anything to light the room up with."

"I'm good, but I think I broke something," Viper groaned, shuffling about and getting to his feet. "Think I tripped on a stick or something…"

"Wait, a stick? Maybe…" Wes felt about on the ground a bit, eventually coming across a wooden object and picking it up. He flicked his wrist, drawing the blade from the compartment on his bracer and struck the flat of the blade on the stone floor, causing sparks to dance up next to the wooden object and light the dry wood ablaze. Moving quickly, Wes took the burning stick to a torch he saw nearby. With it lit, he took the light source to several others in the chamber, gradually flooding the entire room with light. The flames danced around wildly, casting shadows that flickered about the walls in several odd ways. Now that they could see, they saw that the entire room was fairly large, and a lot of moss covered most of the walls.

"Well, that's better," Viper said, finally being able to see. Wes saw him rubbing his behind, and suppressed a chuckle at the archer's misfortune.

"Hey, guys, I just realized something," Snow remarked, looking around the room. "There are three paths to take here… Which way should we go?"

"Huh… looks like you're right, Snow," Wes said, also taking a look around. "Guess we ought to split up, huh?"

"Is that really a good idea?" Viper commented. "I mean, call me crazy, but splitting up in a dark ruin half a mile underground doesn't seem like the greatest idea anyone's had all day. I mean, aside from dumping us out of an airship a hundred miles in the sky."

"Well, how about we split into pairs then? I'll go with Frost, and you two can stick together!" the huntress replied, pointing down one of the corridors. "If any of these is a dead end, we can check the other one."

"And if there's a maze or something? How do we keep from getting lost?" Viper asked. "I didn't bring a string or a handful of twigs, y'know."

"Well, why not carve numbers into the walls?" Wes answered, motioning to one of his swords. "We can mark the corners with a number so we'll know which one we came to in what order."

"Not a bad plan, Wes," Snow complimented. "Alright, we'll take the left corridor. See you guys soon!" The twins walked towards their corridor while Wes and Viper went towards the middle corridor.

"So, uh, don't suppose you know how we're gonna get across this, do you?" Viper asked as they came across a large gap in the pathway.

"C'mon man, can you only see a giant hole? Watch and learn, bow boy!" Wes turned and ran up a wall, grabbing at a large crack in the wall and gripping it. Securing footholds in the rocky wall, Wes began to climb up the wall, scaling the surface with ease. He made his way across the chasm's wall with hardly an effort, pushing off and leaping from the wall to the other side of the hole. "See? Nothing to it!"

"Nothing to it?! How the hell am I supposed to do that?! I can climb trees and cliffs, not ancient walls!" Viper protested, looking at the wall dumbstruck. "Unless there's something on that end I can cross on, then this is as far as I go."

"Well, remind me to show you how it's done sometime," Wes remarked, seeing that there was nothing for him to use to get the archer to his side. "Check the other hall while I'm here; maybe you'll have better luck, eh?"

"Ah, whatever. You get lost, it is not my fault," Viper sighed, turning and heading back the way they had come. The dual blade user lit an oil track at the beginning of the tunnel, lighting the way ahead before pressing forward.

_Guess I'd better not waste any time. _The hunter jogged through the hall, going around any of the deeper cracks in the floor and leaping over any that were shorter with ease, while having to climb across the wider pits. Eventually, though, he came across a pit that spanned several dozen feet, with no scalable cracks or holds on the walls. Instead, Wes noted that there were several wooden posts that spanned at floor level from wall to wall, probably support beams for the floor that had been there before the ruin had fallen into disrepair. With a short smirk, Wes leapt from the floor onto the first post, kicking off from the sturdy wood onto the next, then again, and again. He leapt across the pit handily, eventually reaching another solid section of stone floor. _Whoever made these ruins must've had a lot of time to build these halls over these pits…_

The hunter continued down the hall, noting that the condition of the ruins seemed to improve as he went along. Eventually, Wes noticed that there was a more natural light up ahead, and jogged through the rest of the hallway to see what waited at the end. He found himself walking into a small, rectangular room with black walls and a large crack in the ceiling, allowing daylight to flood the chamber. Strange markings covered the walls that seemed to represent a dragon of some kind, and a group of figures fighting against it. What really drew his attention, though, was the stairs leading up to an altar.

Wes quickly made his way up the steps and, arriving at the top, was greeted by the sight of a glowing spherical red stone. It seemed to dim and brighten irregularly, almost like lava in a volcano. It looked like it could've been made out of magma, based on its appearance, and despite its clear look, it still held the telltale texture of hardened lava. Wes cautiously reached out for it, anticipating some kind of trap, but upon grasping it and pulling it free, sighed in relief as nothing happened. _Seemed a bit too easy… Ah well, I'm not complaining. _Wes pocketed the jewel in one of his belt pouches before inspecting the rest of the chamber.

He found several interesting design prints as well, seemingly detailing ancient methods of weaponry. He gathered up several of the sheets, surprised at how well preserved they were and storing them in a tube-like bag he found nearby. One, he kept aside and folded up; it seemed to detail a set of dual swords that used gunlance components as well. _Wonder if pa'd be able to work this into something… It's not like the Guild would care if I took something extra, right? I found enough to meet their quota, at least. Wonder how the others are doing… I'd better head back soon._

But before he could act, he felt a low rumbling in the earth. Wes looked up just in time to see a large stone block plummeting towards him! He barely rolled out of the way in time, but couldn't stop for breath as several more blocks began falling from above, forcing him to abandon anything else in the room and escape the crumbling ruin. Fortunately, past the room everything seemed stable, aside from a few bits of dirt falling from above every now and then. Wes eventually found himself back in the main chamber, sighing in relief as he heard the muffled sound of more crumbling behind him.

Frost and Snow were already there waiting, and the huntress waved as he walked in. "Hey, Wes! Are you alright? Did you find anything? Our corridor wasn't too thrilling, but we found a few artifacts and gems. Say, where's Viper?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. We had to split up; he went down the other corridor since he couldn't follow me through the middle one. And yeah, I found a few things too, mostly weapon designs and such, but…" He paused, reaching into his back pouch and pulling out the red stone. "I also found this."

The twins looked intently at the glowing orb in the hunter's hand, very much intrigued by it. "What is it? I've never seen something like this before."

"I think it's that magma ruby the report was talking about," he replied, returning the gem to his pouch. He struck a grin as he recalled what else the report had listed. "I think it scored us a bonus!"

"Someone say bonus?" Viper called, entering from the last corridor. He joined the others quickly, and Wes showed him the gem as well. "Damn, you found a lot more than me; there was jack shit down my corridor. Well, I guess we've checked everywhere, right?"

"Seems like it," Snow replied, and Frost gave a quick nod in agreement.

"Alright, seriously, you're kinda startin' to freak me out, tough guy," Viper commented. "Seriously, do you ever say anything?" Frost's only reply was a slow, simple nod, which only further confounded the archer. "Come on! You couldn't just say 'yes'?"

"It's not like he's a mute, y'know," she said. "He just chooses not to say much!"

"Yeah, kinda like how you choose to say too much!" Viper replied jokingly.

"What did you say to me?! I do not talk too much! Take that back, you dumbass!" the huntress replied irritably, chasing after the bow user as he sprinted away to avoid being caught by her. "Get back here!"

"Later, slowpoke!" Wes sighed as the two ran up the steps outside, followed by Frost. He gave one last look back into the ruins, wondering about the strange carvings he had seen inside, but let it go after a moment and following after the others.

_I wonder what it all means…_

Upon reaching the surface of the island, the first sight Wes noted was Snow angrily pursuing Viper around the beach, spouting threats as the archer evaded her grasp again and again. Frost stood off to the side with his arms crossed, watching the scene unfold before him with what can only be assumed to be amusement.

"Frost, did you send up a flare yet?" The man shook his head in response, leading Wes to pull out a small black tube device marked with an 'MC' and an arrow. He held it skyward, pointing the arrow upwards, and pulled the pin on the side of it out. A bright red flare shot forth from the tube, launching itself into the sky high above them and letting off an immensely bright flash of red that could've been seen for miles around.

"Hey, what the hell was-? Ow, Snow, wait, stop!" Wes turned to see that the huntress had finally caught up to the archer and tackled him to the ground, beating him on the chest and head, tiredly but still with enough force to cause the bow user some pain. "Ow, stop, stop! That's my bread and butter you're screwing with!"

"Alright I'd say that's about enough of that," Wes remarked, pulling the huntress off of the archer. Viper, meanwhile, remained on the ground recovering from the beating he had just received.

"Why do women hate me…?"

"Maybe because you act like a dumbass all the time?" Snow remarked, laughing a bit as he finally got to his feet.

"Give him a break, Snow," Wes said, trying to defuse the situation. "We're all on the same side here, right?"

"I guess… But if he says that again, I'm really gonna let him have it!"

"Alright, alright, whatever. Say, you guys think we should carve anything off of the Lagiacrus? Seems a bit of a waste to just leave it there," the dual blade user pointed out, motioning towards the beast's carcass. Blood from its neck had stained the sand between its severed head and body, along with the numerous slashes Wes had dealt across its back, dyeing the sand below a deep crimson.

"...Well, so much for a nice tan on the beach. I'm kidding! We hunted it fair and square after all, so why not?" Viper commented, pulling out his carving knife. "Last one there has to buy everyone a meal! Starting now!" Viper took off sprinting towards the carcass while the others followed close behind.

While the others used their carving knives to gather parts from the leviathan's body, Wes used one of the blades kept in his wrist compartments, somewhat surprised at how effective they were for removing hard to get pieces from the creature's body. He grinned widely as he held up a deep blue sapphire he had carved from its tail, putting it into his pouch along with some scales and a horn he had carved from its head. _Jackpot!_

"Y'know, just looking at this thing's body, I can tell it wasn't very old," Snow remarked, looking it over. "I really don't think this is the worst thing we're going to come across… It went down way too easily. I'd say it's only a High Rank monster at most."

"Yeah, I just hope the next thing I get to go after is more challenging than that," Wes replied. "Honestly, I probably could've taken it down all by myself."

"I get the feeling any of us could, but whatever you say, blondie," Viper laughed, pushing himself to his feet. "Hey, I think our ride's here!" he called, pointing towards the sky. Sure enough, the small black airship was descending towards the island, touching down in only moments with its superior flight ability.

"You kids find everything ya need? That only took ya a third o' the allotted time, y'know!" The pilot shouted from the deck of the ship. "Sure ya didn't miss anything?"

"Nope, we scoured the place. Found everything we'd need, too. We can head back," Wes answered, boarding the ship with the others.

"Suit yerselves. If it makes ya feel any better, I'm not gonna drop ya off the same way this time, so you can just relax on the trip home. Nice job, by the way."

"Thanks, it was easy," Viper said, heading below deck. Frost, Snow, and Wes followed close behind, and it was only about a half hour before they finally landed in Loc Lac.

"…so what you're saying is, his sheath has a spring mechanism inside that lets him draw it quicker?" Wes asked Snow, stepping off the ship. "That seems like it shouldn't work."

"Give it to anyone but Frost, and it won't," the huntress replied, sticking her tongue out at him mockingly.

"Geez, you sure love gloating about your brother, lady," Viper remarked. "Why don'tcha marry him if ya love him so much?"

"What the hell did you just say?! Why I oughta-!" Wes chuckled a bit as Snow again tore after the archer, chasing him through the statue filled courtyard and into the building. Frost followed after, shaking his head in mild amusement.

"One of these days that mouth of his will get him into a lot more trouble than that." Wes trailed after, entering the building last. Upon entering, he saw that Snow had caught Viper in a headlock before he could reach the stairs, and was choking him out as Sal tried to calm her down. The dual blade user turned his attention to the elevator door as it slid open, though, revealing the Corps Head, accompanied by a man with spiky red hair wearing a scientist's outfit. The pair approached him as the hunter turned to face them.

"I trust that your assignment was a success?" Balestra asked, his voice containing nothing but a steely, professional attitude.

"Yeah, and I found your little magma ruby too," Wes replied, pulling the red gem out of his pouch and showing it to the man along with the tube filled with weapon schematics.

"Good… very good indeed," the crimson eyed man replied, taking the gem in one hand and inspecting it closely. "You've done very well. Mr. Joshua, if you'd please take this to the research center along with the other findings."

"But of course," the man, Joshua, replied. He took the objects carefully and returned to the elevator, waiting as the doors closed and brought him up through the building again.

"Now, in regards to your payment," Balestra said, pulling Wes' attention back to him. "I must inform the central Guild headquarters of the success of this mission. If you would accompany me, Mr. Wes, it would make the process far less… tedious."

"Uh, sure, I guess. Should the others come along too?" he asked, pointing back to the others, still embroiled in a faux wrestling match behind him.

"…Charming. Now, if you're done telling jokes, let us be off." Wes shrugged as Balestra turned his back and left the building, following not far behind the black uniformed man. "Tell me, Mr. Wes, what did you think of the method of transportation used in your assignment?"

"It worked, I guess. Fastest travel speed I've ever seen, but I wasn't really anticipating getting dropped the way we did," the dual blade user replied. The two had been walking for a few minutes in complete silence, so Wes was glad to finally break the monotony. "I do have one question, though. The report specifically mentioned that ruby, and I was wondering, what's so special about it anyways?"

"That magma ruby holds information that dates back to the era of the world's creation," Balestra replied, not slowing or breaking stride as he made his way towards the Guild tower. Numerous people in the street seemed to move away from him as he passed, not wanting to get in his way. "Our chief scientist, Mr. Joshua, believes that with extensive research, we can uncover some of the most ancient secrets this world contains. As such, these stones are a high priority target for any expedition assignment, and I am expecting them to be located efficiently."

"Right, but I found it on an altar in a black room. There were these carvings all over the walls, too. Think those could have anything to do with the past too?" Wes asked. Balestra nodded his head slightly in reply.

"While the carvings are no doubt important, what has been discovered about the rubies is far more valuable than prehistoric wall scribbles. The locations can be researched after everything there is to know about the gems is found out."

"Uh-huh…" Wes replied, puzzled. "And I found a bunch of schematics for ancient weapons inside. Will those go into weapon development?"

"Indeed. Those ancient designs have appeared throughout the country, and each one found helps improve the quality of our hunting utensils. It is good that those were located as well; finding even one can help a hundred lives remain on this earth for a while longer." Wes swallowed nervously, remembering that he had snuck one of those schematics out of the pile.

_Well, pa will make them, and then release them to the public, so no biggie, _he thought as the two neared the tower. Being this close to the Guild tower was truly astounding; from his window in the Master Corps building, it was tall, but the massive tusk was nothing short of immense now that Wes was within a block of it. Balestra continued unsurprised towards the bridge that led into the tower, followed by the dual blade wielder.

The inside of the tower was cool and immense, not betraying the size of the structure at all. The interior was carved out from the thick bone expertly, leaving it a fully functional building for all sorts of official Guild business. Balestra approached a large, circular desk where several Guild officers sat filling out paperwork, gaining the attention of one of the workers quickly.

"S-Sir Balestra! We didn't expect to hear from you so soon," the man said quickly, rising to his feet and bowing lightly.

"And now, you should be expecting to hear from the Master Corps far more often. Send word to Mr. Calistro that I'd like to have a word with him."

"O-of course, Sir, right away!" The man turned and entered an elevator at the back of the room, disappearing from sight.

"What was he so nervous about?" Wes asked, confused. "I mean, sure, you're kind of intimid- uh, professional, but still…" Balestra gave him a cool stare before looking ahead again, keeping his focus on the elevator doors.

"That man was one of the officers who petitioned against the formation of the Master Corps. He feared it would be an immense waste of valuable money and resources, and as such, saw fit to combat me until the very end of the process. Rest assured, he is now beginning to see why he was wrong from the start."

"I… see…" Wes replied, pulling his hood back; he had kept it up to prevent the sun from getting to him, but inside it wasn't as necessary. Before too long, the doors opened again, and the same officer from before stepped out, motioning towards Balestra that whoever he was to speak with was ready for him. The Corps Head entered the elevator, and Wes attempted to follow, but the officer stopped him.

"My apologies, sir, but only official Guild officers are allowed beyond this point. You must wait here in order to-"

"Stand down, Ghazim. Let the boy pass; he's with me," Balestra ordered. The officer reluctantly stood aside, and Wes entered the elevator. It took them both up several hundred feet into the air, stopping near the top of the structure. Wes and Balestra stepped out into a formal looking room that led to a door with a secretary in front of it. Noticing them, she rang a small bell, and allowed the two to enter the Guild Master's office.

"So, Balestra, looks like this harebrained scheme of yers is actually payin' off," a short wyvernian sitting on the desk inside remarked. He was dressed in a formal Guild outfit like the officers, but seemed a bit too high strung to be the kind of person to sit behind a desk all day. "So, who's this you've invited to our meeting? One a yer protégé's or somethin'?"

"This is Mr. Wes, a member of the Master Corps, and the first one to successfully complete an assignment," Balestra replied. "He and his comrades were able to accomplish the task presented to them in only a third of the standard six hour time frame we had set for them, and found the object of interest in the process. In light of such pure talent- and proof of the Master Corps' effectiveness- I believe that funding for members should now be considered further."

"Wes, ya say? Where've I heard that name before…?" The wyvernian opened a drawer behind him and quickly pulled out a file, reading through it while mumbling to himself. "Wes… Age eighteen… Completed exam three years prior… Family relations…" The wyvernain groaned, seemingly in irritation at reading the last part of the file. "Yer not here to try n' extort money outta me like yer father, are ya, kid?"

"Uh, no, I wasn't planning on it," Wes replied, surprised at the comment. _Pa never said he got money from the Guild master before. _Calistro sighed in relief before turning back to Balestra.

"Alright, fine, I'll look into it. You'd better keep showing results like these if ya expect ta get anywhere with this, Balestra. Yer proposition was a costly one, and if it fails, then ya will be ruined, am I clear?"

"Of course, thank you sir."

"Alright, get outta here; and take blondie wit' ya. That eye of his is bringin' back some unpleasant memories." With that, the Corps Head turned and left the room, followed by a grumbling Wes. _Why the hell does everyone call me that?_

"Well, Mr. Wes, it would seem that you've made an impression on the Guild Master," Balestra said in his stoic manner as they boarded the elevator. "Though I believe that's more of your father's doing than your own."

"Yeah, don't I know it," the hunter replied irately. "I'm hoping to finally step out of his shadow for once. I figure this was a good way to start."

"If all you seek is fame and glory, I feel inclined to tell you that the Master Corps was founded to promote the advancement of modern society as a whole, not to make its members feel like they are above everyone else. If you thought otherwise, then you are sorely mistaken, boy."

Wes didn't reply to that remark; he didn't really have a counter to it. "Exactly why was it so hard to create the Corps anyways?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"In part, due to the magnitude of the task itself. The funds needed to finance the Corps was tremendous, not only for the headquarters, but also in renovating the _Forever Breeze _into the _Righteous Law_ and in creating the airship fleet. All the resources had to be pulled from other areas of Loc Lac's budget, so in creating the Master Corps, a few other facilities around the city had to be shut down. Not only that, but it took a full decade to amass the funds necessary to finally pay for it all. The entire time, I had to deal with opposition to the plan from about half of the city council. In order to put an end to all of the opposition, the Corps needs to raise enough money on its own to pay back the city for the help in establishing it; I estimate that it should take a full year to come close to that. This meaning we will need hunters conducting missions every minute of every day in a single year, which is next to impossible to accomplish. So you see, Mr. Wes, this has been a very long, difficult struggle for me, and it would be no small pain if it were all ruined. Do you understand now?"

"Y…yeah, I get it…" _Geez, I guess I didn't realize how dedicated to the job he was… Maybe he isn't as bad a guy as I thought. Still kinda gives me the creeps though. _The elevator finally stopped descending and the two stepped into the tower lobby, but Balestra turned and began walking towards the stairs up to the next level.

"Thank you, Mr. Wes, but I will not be requiring your services as of now. Please, go about your business, and do remember to give your all on every job you are assigned. I bid you good day." The man then walked up the steps and disappeared from sight, not sparing another glance towards the young hunter.

"Huh… Weird guy." Wes turned and walked out of the tower, stepping into the warm, late afternoon sun of the desert. He pulled his hood up to shield his face from the harsh light and began to make his way through the city again. However, he soon realized that, once again, he'd been led astray in the maze-like city, and sighed as he stopped in the shade of a building. _I really need to learn this city better… I've already gotten lost twice!_

The hunter quickly climbed up the wall next to him, drawing a few surprised gasps from the people nearby, and pulled himself up onto the roof. Not even a few moments later, he was running across the tops of the buildings towards the HQ building in the distance, leaping over streets and shocking any who saw him. It took him almost fifteen minutes to make the dash to the Master Corp building, and by the time he stopped outside the building, he was coated in sweat and panting exhaustedly.

"Seriously… need… a map…" he mumbled to himself, opening the doors and heading inside. The cool air within was a welcome feeling as it blew into him, chilling him a bit but making him feel less exhausted.

"Welcome back, blondie!" Wes groaned as he turned, seeing Ruby and the other Gem Sisters sitting on a bench to his left. "You look exhausted. What happened to you?"

"Ran from the Guild Tower to here in a sprint," he replied, taking a seat on the opposite side of the four huntresses to catch his breath. "And don't call me that."

"So, we heard that you and your team finished your assignment first. How was it?" Sapphire asked.

"Well enough, only real events were slicing a Lagiacrus in half and almost getting crushed in a collapsing ruin. How about you?"

"Easy as hell!" Emerald replied, very enthusiastically. "The Rath went down first, and the Agnaktor died when the Uragaan slammed its skull in. We brought it down not long after, and we almost got the Zinogre, but it bolted before we could finish it off. Chances are it bled out."

"Not like it was too difficult or anything," Amethyst remarked lazily, as if daydreaming. "Seriously, it was like those things were more interested in beating the crap out of each other than attacking us."

"Four monsters competing for territory means that they really were more intent on taking out the bigger ecological threat than you four," the dual blade user said. He laughed a bit as they all looked at him with different expressions: anger, surprise, confusion, and… something else that Wes couldn't put his finger on, but made him a tad nervous. "What? I read a lot of books when I was younger."

"Well, it doesn't really matter how you know that. We don't need a lecture on a hunt we already finished," Emerald remarked irritably.

"Speaking of already done, shouldn't the last group be back by now?" Sapphire said, changing the subject. "Their assignment was a hunt too, right? For a Sand Barioth? I wonder if they're okay…"

"…How do you know what all the assignments are?" Wes asked slowly. It seemed a little strange that they all knew what his and the other's jobs were.

"The liaison told us. She said she showed you all the sheets too," Ruby answered immediately. "What? Think we're sneaking around or something?"

"No, no, just… Curious, that's all. Anyways, it's been lovely, but I'm turning in for the night. Later." The dual blade user got to his feet and boarded the elevator across the room, but right before the door started to close there was a flash of blue hair, and he noted that Sapphire now stood next to him.

"Hey, don't mind if I do the same, do you? Truth be told, it was a pretty hard job," she remarked, sighing tiredly as she leaned against a wall.

"Well, even if I did mind, you're in here now, so I can't exactly stop you, right? Take any hits?"

"No, no injuries, but there were a couple close calls. Arm kinda hurts; had to save Ammy with my shield when she was reloading. That Stygian Zinogre was probably the hardest fight we ever had…"

"How so? They aren't that much different from a regular Zinogre," the dual blade wielder remarked.

"That's just it; it didn't seem normal… Like, it wasn't really there to stay, it was looking for other monsters to fight… I guess once it realized the others were done for, it decided to leave. We honestly didn't hurt it that bad, but damn…"

"Sorry to hear that. Need a potion or anything for your arm? A small shield isn't really suited to blocking heavy attacks, y'know."

"Yeah, but… I didn't know what else to really do. Ammy's been getting into these weird daydreams lately. She doesn't talk about them, but it kinda worries me."

"She'll tell you when she wants to. Don't fret… Hey, is this elevator even moving?" Wes said, finally noticing that there was no movement in the room.

"…This is kinda weird… It was going just fine a minute ago," Sapphire replied, looking about the chamber as Wes went to the door.

"Looks like we're between floors, too… Dammit, just my luck… I don't suppose you know how to climb, do you?"

"Well, kinda… Rock shelves and such, sure. Why? How many floors do we have to go up?" She asked, wincing a little as if in pain.

"Don't know, but enough that it might take a while… Wait, you've got a bad arm, don't you?"

"It isn't that bad…"

"Stay here, I've got an idea." Wes opened up a wooden panel in the ceiling and climbed into the shaft, looking up to see how far the next floor was. Fortunately, it was only about fifteen feet, which was an easy climb for him, but he needed to find a way to get Sapphire out too… _Maybe there's something jamming the pulley at the top of the shaft… _He looked even farther up into the darkened portion of the shaft, where he could hear the faint groaning of metal as the gears attempted to move, sighing a bit as he realized he had more than four times the original distance to climb now. Not wasting another moment, the hunter began to methodically ascend the elevator shaft by hand, gripping anything he could use as a hand hold as he made his way up.

"Wes! What are you doing?" Sapphire called from the room below, seeing him. "Are you leaving me down here?!"

"No, something's jamming the gears! I'm going to fix them!" he replied, keeping his focus on the top of the shaft. Fortunately, he could see the top of the hollow column somewhat clearly, and that the gears were being held up by another that had shifted out of place. Nearing the mechanism, he drew one of the blades from his wrist and fit the gear back into place, carefully using the hard metal weapon to push the part into position. Almost at once, the machine whirred to life and the gears started turning, making the rope Wes was holding onto begin to descend. It pulled him down with it, and he dropped a few feet into the elevator just as it reached the seventh floor.

"That was impressive!" Sapphire said, a hint of admiration in her eye. "Didn't take you for the mechanic type too, Wes."

"Neither did I. It wasn't much of a fix, I think it just wasn't put together very well the first time."

"…In that case, I think I'm just going to use the stairs from now on. Anyways, thanks for helping me out, Wes. I'll see you around," the blue haired woman said cheerfully before retiring to her room. Wes did the same, finally getting a chance to relax after the day's exercises.

_I forgot how nice a warm shower is after a long day… _he thought to himself, stepping out of the bathroom after washing off. He wore white sleep clothes, letting his suit air out a bit on the back of one of the chairs in his room. He took out all the materials he had carved from the Lagiacrus and put them into his item chest before setting the weapon schematic he kept on the table by another envelope. Seeing it how dark it was outside, Wes decided to finally turn in for the night, switching off the lights and drifting off into a restful sleep.

* * *

**_Author Notes: _** _And now things start to get rolling! While this technically had the first hunt of the story in it, this was more of a way to show off what the new cast can do. Plus, the plot is finally getting under way! Oh, and I broke last chapter's word count already! Sure, 800 words isn't too much, but every little bit counts, right? It'll only pick up from here, trust me!_

**_Playing: MH3U, Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds_**

**_Listening to: Papa Roach, The Offspring, Paramore_**

**_Watching: Red vs. Blue, Achievement Hunter, lots of different video game cutscenes _**

**_Reading: My numerous enemies' movements_**


	4. Chapter 4

The Master Corp

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated. Serena belongs to hunter.714._**

**Edited by: dashboardgecko**

* * *

Chapter 4- Mess with the bull...

Wes awoke later in the day than he had the previous day, sleeping in until a couple hours before midday. Since no one had called for him, he assumed he didn't have an assignment today. He quickly pulled on a set of casual clothing- a simple white shirt, baggy tan pants, and his black leather boots- before heading downstairs, taking the precaution to avoid the elevator and use the stairs. _I don't need a work out this early, especially not one like that…_

"Yo, Wes! About time you got up, bud!" The dual blade user saw Viper greet him from the opposite side of the entry hall, and went to meet the archer. "Say, wanna hit up a nearby tavern for some food? I'm starving, and apparently Dustin only picks up food on Mondays."

"Yeah, sure, why not? Will Frost and Snow be joining us?"

"Nah. According to Sal, they had another job today; got sent off with a couple of hunters from floor three. So, it's just you, me, and all the food I can eat."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Wes chuckled, walking towards the door. "I swear, you've got the biggest stomach I've ever seen."

"I'll take that as a compliment!"

The pair made their way to a tavern not far from the building, where several hunters had already gathered for quests and meals. They found an empty bench among the crowded tavern and took a seat, ordering some meals from a waitress who came by.

"Damn, just look at 'em all," Wes said, gazing at all the hunters. "All the weapons and armor… This is one of the best parts about being a hunter: seeing all the equipment there is to get!"

"Meh, personally I'm only interested in bows, but more power to ya," Viper remarked, taking a swig from his tankard. A rather attractive female huntress wearing a set of G-Rank Zinogre armor walked past their table then, and the archer's eyes followed her with a slight gleam. "…Check that, bows and women. And food… I'll be right back."

"Remember what happened with Snow? You sure you want to try your luck again so soon?" the dual blade wielder asked with a laugh.

"Wes, look who you're talking to; the ladies love me! I just wasn't trying yesterday. I betcha ten gold I can get her to come sit with us."

"I'll take that; this'll be good for a laugh. Knock yourself out, bow boy."

"Alright, watch and learn, blondie." Wes kept his eyes on him as Viper approached the huntress. From that distance, he couldn't hear what was being said, so he tried to infer what was happening based on the woman's expression. Viper pointed towards him after a moment, with her gaze following, then she smiled and shook her head as if to agree with something. Wes had to suppress an irritated sigh as the pair returned to the table.

"Hiya, blondie," the huntress laughed, seating herself beside Viper. The archer had a very condescending look on his face, grinning victoriously at Wes. "Viper here said you were interested in me."

"Wait, what? Viper, the hell are you doing trying to pull matchmaker on me?!"

"Calm down, bud! It was a joke! But seriously, Serena's a great gal. Rank six, sword and shield extraordinaire, right?" the archer asked, brushing his black hair away from the left side of his face, though it quickly fell back into place over his eye.

"You got that right," the huntress, Serena, replied, smiling widely and blushing a little. "So, what ranks are you two? I don't think I've ever seen you around before."

"…That's a good question, actually," Wes stated, thinking. "Viper, did Balestra actually say if we went by ranks?"

"No, he just said we did jobs based on our skillsets… Does that mean we can go on whatever hunts we want off duty?"

"Hell if I know. His speech put almost everyone in there to sleep."

"True that… Think he'd care if we went missing for a day?"

"Probably, I mean, the guy seems like the rank-and-file type. For all we know, we're not allowed to go on normal hunts anymore."

"Are you kidding me? That's Bullfango crap! What if we want to upgrade our gear?"

"Guess we have to try and collect on our assignments…"

"Uhh… Guys? Hello, still here," Serena stated, waving her hand a little to get their attention. "You kinda lost me there…"

"Oh, sorry about that. We just got here yesterday," Wes explained. "We're in the Master Corps, see, and-"

"Wait, you guys are in the Corps?!" the huntress asked excitedly.

"…Yeah…? Is… that a big deal…?" Viper asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion. He gave Wes a quick glance as if asking, _Are we that important to regular hunters? _

"A big deal?! The Master Corps is the talk of the city! The entire project's been going on for years! There've been a ton of us regular hunters trying to get in! You guys are practically famous!"

"Famous?" Wes liked the sound of that already! "Well, I guess we are kind of a big deal, right, Viper?" The dual blade shot Viper a glance to try and get him to play along. "Not like just anyone could get in or anything."

"Uh, right, of course!" he answered quickly, getting Wes' message. "Yeah, we go on all sorts of important assignments that'd be waaaay too much for ordinary hunters to handle."

"You guys are so cool!" Serena was practically ogling them now, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "Can I get an autograph or something?"

"Serena! Where the hell is my drink?!" a gruff voice called from across the tavern. She immediately froze and looked over at the source, as did Viper and Wes. A burly man in a suit of Diablos armor rose from the bench he was sitting at, removing his helmet and shooting their table a furious glare. He stomped over to them and planted his carving knife into the wooden surface before them.

"Hey, watch it!" Wes yelped, pulling his hand away from the blade before it pierced flesh. "What is your problem?!" The whole of the tavern went silent as every patron turned their gaze towards the altercation.

"My problem?! My problem is that some blonde punk is trying to steal my girl!" he spat back, leaving his knife quavering in the table.

"Varon, please… He wasn't trying to-"

"Shut it! You sat with them on your own, didn't you?!" Varon shouted, making as if to strike the huntress.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down!" Viper shouted, stopping the Diablos-armored man in his tracks.

"Don't tell me what to do, you son of a bitch! Serena's my girl, and everyone here knows that!"

"What do you mean, 'yours'?" Wes asked. "She isn't your frickin' slave, asshole." A vein seemed to bulge below Varon's right eye as he scowled at the hunter.

"Shut your goddamn mouth, punk, 'fore I shut it for you."

"No, I don't think I will." The two stared off at each other, anger growing on Varon's face while Wes kept a steely calm.

"Wes… You might want to back off a bit…" Viper mumbled to him, glancing at Varon. "I know you're a good fighter and all, but this guy has armor on… You don't have much of a chance here."

"You think I'm afraid of this guy? Please, he's all freakin' talk! I'll bet you anything that he's just afraid of being shown up by someone better than him."

That last insult really seemed to hit home, because Wes found himself being thrown from his chair and across the floor of the tavern, with Varon cursing angrily at him. "That's it! You've asked for it! Hope you got a good bit of money stashed away somewhere, 'cuz you're gonna need it to pay off the hospital bills when I'm through with you!"

Wes got to his feet and wiped the side of his head with the back of his hand; he had scraped it against the ground, resulting in a thin cut on his right cheek bone. The dual blade wielder noted that he and Varon were in the center of the tavern, surrounded by tables and with only a few barrels here and there.

"Nice threat, but if anyone's gonna be eating food through a straw for the next few months, it's gonna be you," Wes retorted, getting into a combat-ready stance.

"Wes, you're gonna get yourself killed," Viper moaned, rubbing his forehead irritably. "Just let it be!"

"Too late for that!" Varon interjected, cracking his neck and stepping forward. He shot a glare at Viper and raised a finger at him. "Once I'm done with your friend, you're next!" The archer visibly paled at the threat, and swallowed hard. Faron chuckled menacingly at the sight before turning back to where Wes stood. "Alright, now for-"

Wes was no longer there.

"What the hell?! The son of a bitch ran! I swear, when I get my hands on him, I'll-!" The armored hunter didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Wes leapt upon him from behind, grabbing hold of the back of the man's head and one of his tall Diablos horn pauldrons and slammed him into the ground!

"Probably weren't gonna say 'get my face smashed into the floor', were ya?" Wes asked mockingly. Varon quickly recovered, spitting blood out of his mouth and glaring angrily at the dual blade wielder as he got to his feet. "I'm not in the Master Corps for nothing!"

"Master Corps?! I should've known that a punk like you would be one of those assholes! I'll bet you think you're better than everyone in here, don't you?!"

"Sounds like someone's got a bit of a grudge! You got a problem with the Corps?"

"I'm the best hunter in this goddamn tavern! So why shouldn't I be in such an 'elite organization'?!"

"Maybe because you're an asshole with a possessive streak," Wes shot back, earning a furious glare from the other man. "Oh, and to answer your first question; I don't _think_ I'm better than everyone in here, I _know_ I am!"

"You little bastard… I'll tear you to shreds!" Varon charged at him, arms outstretched as if to grab the dual blade wielder. Right as the man's arms began to close around him, Wes ducked below his grasp and rolled between his legs. The armored hunter grunted in surprise, seeing his target slip from his grasp, and let out a pained yelp as Wes darted behind him and kicked his knee in. The hunter was forced to drop to one knee as his leg crumpled from under him, and Wes took advantage of his downed state to grab his arm. With a deal of effort, Wes forced the man to hop a circle around him before throwing the man unsteadily into a barrel used for arm wrestling. The wooden container broke into splinters as the heavy man fell into it.

By now, several of the patrons were cheering from the sidelines, making bets on who'd win the fight and urging the two to continue. Wes grinned to himself, looking around at all the hunters goading him on and shouting words of encouragement at him. _Heh… So, this is what it's like being the center of attention… This is what I'm talking about!_

"Wes, watch out!" The dual blade user just barely snapped out of it before a gauntleted fist slammed into the side of his face, knocking him through the air and to the floor a few feet back! He shook the spots from his eyes as he pushed himself up, grimacing. Varon had already gotten to his feet, and took advantage of the hunter's momentary lack of awareness to sucker punch him.

"If you think it's gonna be that easy, you've got another thing coming, punk!" the armored man growled, stomping over to the dazed hunter. Wes rolled out of the way as Varon attempted to stomp on him with a heavy bone boot, recovering fully and getting back to his feet.

"Lucky shot, asshole! But I ain't done yet either!" Wes ran at the Diablos-clad hunter, noting that he was winding up to throw a strong punch. Anticipating the strike before it came, the dual blade wielder sidestepped at the last possible second, watching Faron's clenched fist pass him by harmlessly. Coiling his legs as he landed, Wes jumped at the man, delivering a powerful strike of his own right into the side of his unarmored head.

The strike wasn't enough to knock the heavy man over, but it was enough to stun him a little, which Wes had been hoping for. Grabbing the sides of Varon's head, the dual blade user drove the man's head down into his awaiting knee, knocking the man back again. Varon stumbled back to keep his balance, kicking blindly in Wes' direction. The hunter was flung back as the Diablos-bone greave slammed into his gut, winding him and knocking him into a barrel.

Wes regretted that he hadn't worn his armor, as the thin Barioth pelt shirt he wore didn't do very much to absorb the impact. Still, he forced himself back up after a moment, ready to reengage the other hunter. Varon still seemed dazed from all the blows to the head he'd taken, but the hunter stood tall, glaring angrily at the dual blade wielder. Wes grunted in irritation, seeing the man's state.

_This guy can take a lot of hits… He's more durable than me, and I can only go for his head… That armor's a huge pain in my ass right now, but there's no way I can get rid of it… Gotta find something around here to tip the odds in my favor…_

Quickly glancing at everything in front of him, Wes remembered the wood fragments lying at his feet from the broken barrel he had been thrown into. Putting the tip of his foot below one of the smaller planks, he kicked the fragment up into his waiting hand as his opponent charged at him again, cursing angrily. Before Varon reached him, Wes chucked the wood piece at his head, nailing him directly in the forehead. The heavy armored hunter yelped and clutched his head in pain, not noticing that Wes had closed the distance between them again. Wes grabbed Varon by the back and dragged him over to a table before gripping the back of his skull. "Alright, tough guy, time to finish this! Heads up!"

The dual blade user slammed the armored hunter's face into the table with as much force as he could. Varon grunted in pain as he impacted the wooden surface, but Wes knew just one wasn't enough; pulling his head back again, he did the same thing, driving the Diablos-clad man's unprotected head into the table once more. Pulling him back one last time, Wes threw Varon's head onto the table, with the impact of the blow being enough to knock the hunter onto his back from the recoil. Wes stood over the downed hunter, panting tiredly, but confident the other man wouldn't be standing up again anytime soon.

Only then did he allow his attention to return to the crowd around him, cheering and whistling at the outcome of the fight. Wes chuckled to himself as he returned to his seat, receiving pats on the back and congratulations all the way. "Hey, one at a time! I'm awesome enough for all of you!" The crowd dispersed after a little bit, with several whispers and murmurs about the fight and the Master Corps as the hunters all returned to their seats.

"Hot flippin' damn, Wes, remind me to never get on your bad side!" Viper remarked, admiration strewn across his face. "Gotta say, I'm glad you took care of him; I'm complete garbage at fist fights. He'd have laid me out like a rug!"

"I can see why you're in the Corps now; thanks for that, Wes," Serena said, a mixture of relief and amazement on her face. "He's always been kind of an asshole…"

"Well, I gave him proper warning; he had it comin'. Hey, I just realized something: is our food done yet? I'm starving!"

"Here's a meal for the champion!" the waitress said, having approached while they were conversing. She set a couple of large platters on the table, each stacked high with perfectly cooked meat, sweet vegetables, fresh baked breads, and other delicacies that could make even a dead man rise to get a taste. "This one's on the house; Varon's been trying to take over the tavern for a while now, so the manager wants to thank you for teaching him a lesson. From now on, you can get free meals every time you come here!"

"Seriously?! Damn, I know how to pick my enemies!" Wes laughed, grinning happily. Viper gave him a look of both amazement and envy, but soon turned his gaze to the food before him.

"Alright, well, I'm digging in! See you at the bottom, blondie!" the archer joked before tearing into his food.

"We'll see about that, bow boy!" Wes did likewise, eating his way through the food before him like a ravenous beast. The food was nowhere near as good as his mother's home cooking, but it was still utterly delicious, and not fifteen minutes later, Wes and Viper were laid out on the table, plates empty and stomachs full.

"Oof… Haven't eaten like that in weeks," Viper remarked before belching loudly. Serena and Wes broke out into laughter as the archer grinned. "I can do better than that!"

"I'm sure you can, hot shot," the huntress joked, very much amused by the pair's antics. "You two have got to be the most fun guys I've ever met. Seriously, we've got to go on a hunt together sometime!"

"First chance we get, sure!" Wes replied eagerly, still riding high on all the praise he had received. "Not sure when that'll be, but we'll be in the neighborhood awhile!"

"I'm all for it," Viper added, finishing off the remains of his tankard. "Yo, Wes, think we should be getting back soon? Balestra might have put an assignment up for us."

"Yeah, I guess. We've had enough fun for one meal, huh?"

"Aww, you guys are leaving? Oh well, I guess I'll see you two around then!" Serena said, smiling warmly at the two. They both bid the huntress farewell before leaving the tavern.

"So, I think she's got the hots for me," Viper said low enough for only Wes to hear.

"Keep telling yourself that. You were practically pissing yourself while I was beating the crap out of that guy," Wes snarked back. "You just brought her to the front row to watch!"

"Oh, right, speaking of which, you owe me ten gold!"

"There he is!" The two froze and turned to face a group of three Guild officers, one of whom pointed accusingly at Wes. "He was the one who started the fight in the tavern! You both are under arrest for public misconduct and disturbing the peace!"

"Since when was that a law?!" Viper asked disbelievingly.

"Viper, I think now'd be a good time to split up," Wes mumbled, backing up a little as the officers began to close in on them.

"You think?" the archer replied quietly, backing up as well. "So, after we lose these guys, meet back up at HQ?"

"Sounds like a plan. But lemme try something first…" Wes waited a moment as the officers neared them before holding his arms up in a gesture of peace. "Guys, guys! Can't we work out some kinda deal here? There isn't anything wrong with two guys settling their differences the old fashioned way, right?"

"We don't 'work out deals' with criminals."

"Well, I tried. Viper, break!" Wes immediately turned and started sprinting away from the officers, two of which pursued him as quickly as they could. The hunter led the men down the length of the district's main street, darting around pedestrians and bystanders to get through the crowd as quickly as he could. His pursuers followed as best they could, nudging people aside and wading through the crowd, intent on catching up with the light-footed hunter. Seeing a small alley of to the side of the street, Wes immediately darted inside in an attempt to break their line of sight on him.

Wes slid to a stop, noting that the only thing in the alley was a pulley holding up some wood planks for any workers on the roof to get easier access to. He turned around to face the two men as they began to slowly approach from the one entrance in the alley.

"End of the line, kid; you're coming with us," one of the officers threatened. Wes glanced back at the pulley before facing the officers again, backing away from them.

"Don't suppose I can get a 'get-out-of-jail-free card', can I?" he asked sarcastically, planning an escape in his mind.

"Shut it!" the other officer answered, drawing his rapier. "What is it with you hunters that makes you think you're above the law?! Disrupting the peace inside the city?!"

Wes responded by leaping up onto the platform the pulley was attached to, drawing one of the blades from his wrist and cutting the rope holding the planks up with a quick swipe. He grasped the loose rope as it flew upwards, the wood planks acting as a counterweight that propelled him up to the rooftops while the planks crashed to the ground in front of the officers, cutting them off from following him.

"That makes me feel very above the law!" he called down to the men below before sprinting away, pulling his hood up and leaping from the building he was on to another across the street. He landed with a roll and got to his feet quickly, running over the rooftops towards the Master Corps Headquarters. There were a few Guild officers in the streets below who saw him dashing over the buildings, but they could only follow him from the streets below, unable to catch up with the agile hunter's free running.

Nearing the gate leading into the Master Corps headquarters, Wes jumped down from the building he was on, grabbing a sign hanging over a store and using it to slow his downward momentum. In the same motion, he swung forwards and let go, flying several feet through the air before landing with a quick roll and breaking into a sprint again. By then, all the officers had lost sight of him, and he made his way through the gate and towards the main building, somewhat exhausted by the exertion. He breathed a sigh of relief before pushing open the door leading inside.

"Ah, Mr. Wes. Just who I was looking for." The hunter stopped in his tracks, seeing Balestra standing eye to eye with him just inside the doorway and blocking passage into the building. Wes nervously glanced back, seeing a pair of Guild officers enter the gates. One saw him, and the two began to make their way towards him.

"Listen, I've really got to get inside-"

"Nonsense. It would just so happen your friend informed me of what happened at the tavern." Wes noticed the archer seated inside, giving him a thumbs up and a slight grin.

"Stop right there! Don't go any further!" one of the officers behind the hunter gasped, breathing heavily from the chase. "We'll pin resisting arrest on you too if you do that again!"

"Gentlemen, stand down," Balestra ordered, stepping outside and facing the pair, keeping his hands folded behind his back as always. "The altercation at the tavern was simply a mild disagreement that escalated beyond what the young boy believed it would. The other man lashed out at him, and he defended himself. There is no law against protecting oneself, correct?"

"S-Sir Balestra! We can't just ignore this…!" the other officer replied, shaking his head quickly.

"You can, and you will. There are more important matters to attend to in this city than chasing after ruffians for settling their differences through force, rather than diplomacy. I want all the men to leave Mr. Wes alone, is that clear?"

"…Yes, sir…" The officers reluctantly conceded to the Corp Head's demands and departed, grumbling to each other under their breaths.

"Now then, come inside," Balestra stated, turning quickly and reentering the building. Wes followed after the man, somewhat confused.

_Why did he help me like that? That's… really out of character for him… _Wes thought, pulling his hood down. Viper stood and joined him, following Balestra to the elevator and boarding with him.

"You owe me big time for that, Wes," Viper whispered, leaning over to make himself more easily heard. "I barely finished explaining it to him before you showed up."

"And I appreciate that, but one bet at a time, eh, Viper?" The elevator took the three all the way up to the top floor this time, opening up into a rather large office. A large desk stood before a window that spanned the entire wall behind it, with several neatly arranged stacks of paper resting on top of it. A few bookshelves lined the wall to the right, along with some plaques detailing achievements in the Guild. To the right, several replica weapons were mounted on the wall, and Wes couldn't recall ever seeing those weapons on the open market before. There was a purple shield matched with a short sword that had a rotating blade, a large switch axe made from a combination of red and gold metals, a gunlance that glowed with an electric blue hue, and several other rare and exotically designed hunting tools.

Balestra walked to the center of the room before turning to face the pair as they gazed about the office curiously, clearing his throat to grab their attention. "I'm certain you're both wondering why I've gone to all the trouble of bringing you to my chambers for this discussion."

"Kind of, yeah," Viper mumbled, though Balestra didn't respond to the archer's comment, either not hearing it or ignoring it completely.

"As I'm sure both of you know, the Master Corps is just getting off its feet now. It has yet to grow into what I've envisioned, but to make it that far, nothing short of absolute perfection is allowed."

"Where's this going?" Wes blurted out, puzzled by the Corps Head's speech. "We did the first job perfectly. Neither of us-"

"If you'd be so kind as to allow me to finish, then you'd learn, Mr. Wes. May I remind you that the Corps must maintain a positive image to the city as well. Your escapade in the tavern today may not have been your fault, but openly mocking members of the Guild and evading arrest was not what you should have done. Consider yourself lucky that my standing in the Guild is high enough to allow me to call off the officers; I may not be able to do that again next time." Balestra's tone seemed slightly agitated, but quickly returned to the flat monotone he normally spoke with.

"As I was saying, nothing short of absolute perfection is allowed. However, perfecting a few simple jobs won't get us very far. As important as your last job was for getting the Master Corps funding for its members, it won't prolong us for very long. We need something that will ensure the Corps has something to its name that will make it unforgettable."

"…So, what do you want us to do?" Viper asked, curiously.

"Simple. I am going to send both of you, along with two others, to confront a beast that still baffles the Guild to this day, and has done so for the last five years. By besting this creature and returning it to the Guild for research, there is no doubt that any opposition we still have would be forced to concede that the Corps is indeed worth the time, money, and effort."

"Alright, but just one question," Wes asked the Corps Head. "Exactly what is this 'mystery monster' you're sending us after?"

"A creature the Hunter's Guild only knows as a 'Lucent Nargacuga'."

* * *

"Frost, duck!"

The long sword user quickly ducked below the heavy bluish-black clubbed tail that whipped past and delivered a swift cut to the back of the ebony-hided monster his group was engaged with. In the same movement as his attack, he jumped back, putting more distance between himself and the angry, slime-covered creature.

Frost and Snow, along with another pair of hunters, had been sent to the Volcano area to deal with an exceptionally large Brachydios that had been blasting apart an entire section of the mountain lately. The area they were in was extremely hot, on account of the river of lava flowing nearby, and several lava-falls cascading down above did nothing to help. Still, the masked hunter had refused to remove his helmet for the sake of drinking something cool, ignoring the burning sensation in his body and focusing wholly on the task at hand.

He rolled aside as the Brachydios brought a slime-coated arm down where he had stood a moment before, covering the impact zone in a pile of green ooze. The substance quickly turned from green to yellow to a bright red before exploding violently. Frost had been able to leap away in time to avoid the blast, but the shockwave it produced propelled him back even farther. Planting his blue bladed long sword into the ground below, the masked hunter quickly slowed to a stop, wordlessly pulling his blade free from the hardened magma.

As Frost recovered, one of his allies, a switch-axe user by the name of Harlin, rushed past him, converting his Ceadeus-weapon into its sword mode and delivering a strong upward slice to the Brachydios' underbelly. The weapon didn't cut very deep, but the large spray of water that followed the strike washed off a good deal of the sticky substance on the creature's arms, dispelling its ability to leave the slime behind with its punches. He made to swing again, but the Brachydios quickly backed away from the hunter and avoided his next swing, licking its arms as it did so. Its saliva quickly brought more slime back to its pounders, making Harlin's attack more superfluous than anything.

Not waiting another moment, Frost sheathed his blade at his waist and dashed towards the creature, noting that several musical notes were being played by the fourth hunter's hunting horn. The hunter, Jerome, had been holding back for the most part, playing songs on his weapon to boost his comrade's abilities and only striking when it was safe to do so. The long sword user noted that not only did he immediately feel himself cool down as a result of the song, his already impressive strength seemed bolstered as well.

As he neared, Snow quickly leapt at the Brachydios from the side, delivering three quick slashes to its leg before being forced to dodge as it swung its clubbed tail towards her. Frost eyed the wound his sister had left as the beast turned, noting the triangle shape of the wound. He quickly brought his still sheathed sword up to his side, keeping a finger over the button mechanism built into the unique scabbard. Before he was able to attack, though, the Brachydios roared and made to leap through the air above the hunter.

Anticipating this, Frost slid to a stop and pressed the button right before the beast jumped. With an explosive flash of electricity, his Ivory Lagiacrus blade shot out from its scabbard in the blink of an eye. At that moment, the Brachydios was in the air above him, intent on leaping towards Harlin and blowing the switch axe user away while he reloaded a phial. The speed of Frost's attack beat the obsidian creature's powerful jumping ability, and while the long sword user missed the wound his twin had inflicted, his blade managed to cleave the spiked tail off of the Brachydios, the blue blade ringing as it separated scales and bone.

Frost groaned a little in pain as the blade slammed into the floor next to him, his swing having encompassed a wide arc above him. The force of the blade firing from the scabbard already caused him some injury on its own, but the impact did little to help. Despite this, though, Frost wrenched his blade free again, inspecting the blue blade for any damage. Seeing that the only thing wrong with it was a dull edge, the hunter pulled a whetstone out and immediately set to work sharpening the blade.

This long sword in particular was one he had modified heavily from its initial design. For one, almost a foot of the blade's length had been removed, making it far shorter than most other swords of its class. The extra space in the scabbard had gone into making the drawing mechanism, which could propel the sword almost a hundred feet away if the handle wasn't grasped when activating it. The drawbacks to these changes were somewhat severe: not only was Frost's reach much shorter because of the lack of blade, but the use of the drawing mechanism had the potential to injure his arm with every use, dulled his blade, and could even damage the integrity of the weapon if used improperly.

Fortunately, severing the Brachydios' tail while in midair had a very useful effect, aside from the obvious. The monster had flung itself off balance due to the pain from the injury, and ended up slamming into the side of the wall behind Harlin. The switch awe user had made it a point to avoid the giant obsidian creature that was hurtling through the air towards him, yelping a bit in surprise as he dove out of the way.

Snow took advantage of the slime coated monster's downed state to start dealing several consecutive slashes to the creature's underbelly, quickly bringing her shield up to block the Brachydios' attempt at kicking her. The impact, though, sent her sliding back across the hardened lava they were fighting on. Frost quickly came to her aid, stopping her from sliding too far with his left arm, as Harlin and Jerome quickly closed in on the monster to continue attacking it.

"Is your arm okay? I was hoping we could take one of its legs off, but I guess we can't do that now… Don't use the quick draw any more, not for this hunt. You just used it yesterday, and you haven't had time to recover since then."

Frost responded with a silent, though reluctant nod, accepting his sister's advice. Just because he was good at dealing with pain didn't mean he didn't feel it; the long sword user's arm caused him no small amount of grief.

A pair of surprised shouts drew both of their attentions back to the creature they were hunting. The Brachydios had recovered while they were distracted, and had blasted its two attackers away with a large explosion of slime. Harlin had managed to get far enough away that he was only sent flying from the blast, skidding across the ground. Jerome, though, had taken the brunt of the attack and was sent crashing into a large pillar of hardened lava. Fortunately enough, his armor seemed to absorb the entire attack; it was made from an ancient design that had been recently uncovered, and served as a protective exoskeleton-like shield for his whole body. The hunting horn user struggled to his feet, coughing from the impact, but still seemed battle ready.

"I broke its left pounder while it was down, and Harlin managed to crack its horn," Jerome reported, joining the two. "Still, this thing isn't going down easy. You two got any plans?"

"I think we should try and lure it somewhere we can use to our advantage… There isn't enough around here for us to use as cover, and with it being able to jump like that, there's no way we can escape it," Snow replied, checking around the area.

"Well, any ideas would be nice right about now!" Harlin shouted, leaping back to avoid the monster's pounder slamming into the ground. He had been distracting the Brachydios while the others were conversing, and was clearly having a hard time fighting it alone.

"I think that until we get a better plan, the best we can do is hold out for a bit longer," Snow said, tightening her grasp on her short sword. "Frost, Jerome, try and break its horn. Harlin, see what you can do about its other pounder!"

"I'm working on it! How about instead of telling me what to do, you actually help?!"

"You heard the guy; let's get a move on!" Jerome began to break off to the left, intending to flank the Brachydios. The twins, meanwhile, ran straight towards the creature, with Snow tackling Harlin out of the way of the obsidian creature's incoming fist. Frost quickly drew his blade and slashed at the greenish horn protruding from its head. Had his blade not been shortened, the strike might have severed the part, but his attack merely glanced off the hardened protrusion, cracking it a little bit more and causing the monster to reel its head upwards in shock.

Fortunately, the long sword wielder had some saving grace in the form of Jerome, who ran up to the Brachydios' head as it lowered again, bringing his hunting horn down onto the cracked horn with a fierce battle cry and shattering the slime-covered obsidian horn.

However, instead of reeling back again as the hunters assumed it would, the Brachydios instead let out a loud roar, forcing all present to cover their ears to avoid damaging their hearing. When they looked up, the once green slime covering the creature's arms and horn had turned yellow and spread across its back and face. The Brachydios faced the four hunters before it, nothing but pure rage building in its red eyes.

"Looks like we really pissed him off…" Harlin commented, bringing his axe up into a battle ready position.

"No, really? Never would have guessed that, dumbass," Jerome replied, taking position next to the switch axe user. "Now what do we do?"

"Well, I think we ought to think on the move, guys!" Snow shouted. "Look out!" The hunters split up to avoid a large explosion that was hurtling towards them, kicking up volcanic rocks and debris in every direction. Harlin and Jerome managed to get out of the way early, avoiding the entirety of the blast, while Snow leapt sideways and brought her shield up to block a large chunk of rock that was hurtling towards her. Frost, though, stood his ground while his companions dodged out of the way, and instead started charging _at _the explosion. Before any of the others could react to his seemingly suicidal plan, the silent hunter leapt at the last possible moment, seemingly passing through the entire explosion without a single injury! He landed with a roll and immediately charged at the Brachydios, which was completely caught off guard by Frost's frontal assault through the blast.

With a quick spin and a flash of red around him, Frost drew his long sword and dealt a powerful blow to the creature's right, unbroken arm, easily cutting through the hard obsidian plating with a flash of lightning from the Ivory Lagiacrus blade. Twisting about again, the hunter dealt another blow to the bracer, surrounded by a brief red aura of pure spirit energy. Three more slashes followed another burst of red, lightning sparking with each swing, and with a final burst of red aura, Frost dealt a blow stronger than any of the previous to the Brachydios' pounder, shattering the shell covering as he launched himself past the monster. He slid to stop behind the obsidian creature, slowly sheathing his sword as he heard the monster collapse to the ground behind him.

"Is… is it dead?" Jerome asked, surprised that the creature hadn't moved for several moments. "Damn, that was crazy! How did you jump through the blast like that?" he asked, turning his attention to Frost as the long sword user approached them.

"It was impressive," Harlin commented, walking past the silent hunter and approaching the Brachydios' body.

"Nice job, Frost," Snow complimented, smiling at her brother. He nodded to her in reply, crossing his arms. "So, I guess we're done then?"

"I guess so!" Harlin called from across the area. "This thing's as dead as an Aptonoth during Rath mating season!" the switch axe user said, kicking the creature's head and laughing.

His joy was short lived, though, as the Brachydios' eye blinked open! With a short roar, the creature charged forward slightly, slamming into the surprised hunter with its broken horn and knocking him back several feet. The obsidian monster climbed back onto its feet, knocking its damaged pounders together threateningly as it stared down the hunters.

"Or… maybe not…" Harlin coughed, pushing himself up from the ground. "Guess it wasn't going to be that easy, huh?"

"Y'know, next time you're checking to see if it's dead, why not use that giant axe instead of your damn foot?!" Jerome said irritably, pulling his hunting horn off his back. "I'll see if I can't knock it for a loop. Try and actually kill it once I knock it over, would ya?!" The two hunters charged at the beast as it licked its arms, returning some of the yellowish slime to the remains of its pounders.

"Dammit… C'mon, Frost, they'll need our help!" Snow said, beginning to follow. Before she could take a single step though, Frost tapped on her shoulder and pointed up towards the top of the cliff above them. His sister's gaze followed his gesture to a large number of boulders around the cliff, each about the size of an Aptonoth.

"What can we do with those?" she asked, confused.

Frost turned his pointed finger into a thumbs down, lowering his hand slightly to resemble a falling object.

"Oh, I get it!" Snow said, understanding his plan. "We've got to keep the Brachydios in that area for a little while! Anyone have a trap?!"

"I've got a shock trap we could use! Want me to throw it?!" the hunting horn user replied, backing up away from the Brachydios as it brought a fist down towards him.

"Save it for now! Frost, see if you can't get up there. I'll keep an eye out for you down here. Good luck!" The long sword user watched the others headed off to join Harlin in combatting the Brachydios, before turning to a cracked stone wall leading up to the boulders he was planning on using to fight the obsidian creature. He dashed towards the wall, glancing over to make sure the beast was distracted by the others, before kicking up the wall and beginning to climb.

Having lived in the Tundra all his life, Frost was accustomed to scaling ice covered slopes and walls when setting up ambushes, and running through snow drifts to pursue the quarry of his hunts. This transferred into other areas as well; he was very fast for his size, and, while not as agile as Wes or Viper had proven before, he was able to climb almost as easily as they could. Quickly making his way up the wall, Frost hoisted himself onto the cliff and looked down to where his sister and the other two hunters were still fighting the enraged beast.

He made a quick gesture to Snow, signaling that he was ready. The huntress, seeing him, quickly leapt back to avoid the Brachydios' slime covered pounder impacting the ground before her. "Jerome, now! The shock trap!"

"On it!" The hunting horn user quickly set the trap and threw the disc-like device into the ground below the monster. With a loud electrical zap, the device powered on and stunned the creature, immobilizing it with several thousand volts of electricity. The Brachydios screeched in pain as it spasmed wildly, jittering as another shock from the trap coursed through its body.

Frost had taken position behind the largest of the boulders and drew his sword, sticking it into place between the large stone and the rocky cliff. Using the sword as a lever, Frost pulled as hard as he could, shifting the boulder from its spot on the cliff. With a loud crack, the large rock rolled off the side of the cliff, falling down right above the immobilized creature below. The trap detonated below the Brachydios, but the monster didn't have enough time to move before the several-ton boulder crushed it from above, breaking through its hard shell with ease and slamming it into the hardened magma below. The obsidian creature could only let out a weak groan as it finally died, the boulder having crushed all of its internal organs into a bloody paste.

"Jeez… You could have said that was the plan…" Harlin remarked, having barely avoided the falling rock himself. Frost climbed down from his position and rejoined the others, who had been trying to carve what they could from the exposed parts of the creature, but unfortunately they were limited to its head and one of its pounders.

"Well, I got everything I could. Let's get back to the pick-up zone, eh?" Jerome suggested, pushing himself up from the ground.

"I wonder what that hunter will say when we tell him the 'Clashing Fists' of the Volcano got crushed to death," Harlin commented as they walked back to base camp. "Apparently the guy who went after it first was an old pro. When they brought him in, it was like he'd gotten blasted off the top of the mountain!"

"Poor guy," Snow remarked, walking alongside her brother. "Did they say if he was gonna be able to hunt again?"

"I dunno. I didn't hear anything about him losing any limbs, but even if he did, I'm pretty sure one of the medical specialists could get him patched up. I saw a guy yesterday who had a working prosthetic arm! I mean, seriously, now even paraplegics can get back into hunting. Imagine that!"

"Pretty crazy if you ask me," Jerome said. "I mean, my brother lost a leg to a Lagiacrus a few years ago, and suddenly he's walking around like nothing happened! I don't know if I'm glad or worried that he'll let it get to his head."

"Say, think they've got prosthetic voice boxes too?" Harlin joked. "I'm pretty sure the big guy could use one!"

"Honestly, I've never heard anyone go so long without saying anything," the hunting horn user added, laughing a little. "I'm kinda impressed, actually!"

"Hey, he just doesn't like to talk!" Snow defended. "Is there a problem with that? Or do you guys just have to go around making a big deal about it?"

"Come on, lady, can't you take a joke?" the switch axe user laughed. "Hell, we've all got our little quirks we can poke fun at! Like Jerome almost pissing himself while we were fighting that Brachydios!"

"The hell are you talking about, shit-for-brains?! You're the one who screamed like a little girl when that thing almost crashed into you!" the hunting horn user retorted. The pair soon got into an argument, hurling insults and comebacks at each other like kids throwing stones at each other. Snow and Frost hung back a little while the other hunters continued to fight with each other.

"…Think either of them would be willing to listen?" Snow asked quietly. Frost shook his head negatively and grunted a little in reply, understanding what she meant by the question. "Didn't think so… I just hope we can find someone we can really trust before anything gets out of hand…"

Frost said nothing, but nodded slowly as they continued on their way to the base camp, where their airship back to Loc Lac awaited.

* * *

"Is there any information on this thing at all? There has to be something the Guild knows about it," Wes said, reading over the contract for the hunt he and Viper had been assigned. Both hunters had gotten suited up, and were currently waiting for the other members of their team to arrive.

"Aside from it being called the 'Invisible Predator', there isn't much else to go off of," Viper remarked, going through his Hunters Notes. "But, to put things in a positive light, it's a Nargacuga, and I've got plenty of experience fighting them. What about you?"

"I've only fought one, and that was almost a year ago. I remember it pretty well though, so it shouldn't be a problem for me."

"I guess now the only question is who else is going on this hunt with us?" the archer asked, taking a seat. "Balestra didn't say anything about who'd be coming along, but there's no way he's just going to send you and me… right?"

"He did say two others would be coming along. Doesn't really matter who does join us; I'm still gonna bring that thing down!" Wes said confidently, a grin coming to his face.

"You make it sound like you're gonna be the only one actually fighting it." The pair turned to face the staircase, where a pair of armor-clad hunters were descending the steps towards them. One was garbed in a full suit of Volvidon armor, with a large hammer with a revolving chamber built into the head, while the other wore hooded robes made from G-Rank Gigginox parts. He had a pair of swords strapped to his back that seemed to be of far East make. The hunter in Volvidon armor lifted her mask up to the top of her head.

"Ruby? Balestra's sending you along with us?" Viper asked begrudgingly. "Just when I thought I would be able to get away from these crazy women…"

"Glad to see you too, Viper. Oh, and I have a message from Emmy," the red-haired huntress stated.

"Really? What did she say this time?"

"She said to go and screw off."

"Yeah, that seems about right."

"You're used to this?" Wes asked the archer.

"Since day one, yeah. It's kinda been our thing: she calls me a douchebag, I call her a bitch. It's worked out so far, at least."

"And you wonder why you're awful with women."

"Hey, I got Serena to sit with us, didn't I?"

"Because you paid her off! That isn't charm, that's bribery!"

"Hey, can you two shut it for a minute?" Ruby interjected. "F- uh, Balestra said that our ship was taking off in a few minutes, so that we should get on board now. He said that if this all goes well, we'd receive some kind of distinction in the Corps, so how about we at least move to the airship?"

"…Fine, but first, who're you? I haven't heard you say a thing since you came down here," Wes asked the Gigginox cloaked man. The only noticeable features he could make out from the man's face below his hood were his brown eyes and a pair of scars on his right cheek.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, I thought it was more fun to listen in. The name's Ishmael," the hooded man replied, holding his gloved hand out to shake. Wes took it after a moment and smiled a bit.

"At least you aren't like Frost; he doesn't say anything. Alright, let's get on that ship! We've got a monster to hunt!"

* * *

**_Author Notes: _**_Alright, this one was fun to write! I managed to sate my love of a good fist fight and include a pretty nice hunt as well. And here's a special shout out to a fan I met online in MH3U, hunter.714, and her OC Serena! It's actually a pretty pleasant surprise to meet fans online; a few weekends ago I was playing with fellow writer and my editor, dashboardgecko, and we came across someone with a character named 'Levin' who was apparently familiar with both of our stories, though he didn't realize he was actually playing with the writers themselves. If you want to play online with me, just send a request! My Nintendo ID is the same as my user name, and my character name is Nick. Well, that's about it from me for now, so don't forget to review, follow, and favorite, and I'll see you next time!_

**_Playing: _**_MH3U, Pokémon Y, Skyrim_

**_Listening to: _**_Avenged Sevenfold, The Offspring, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance OST_

**_Watching:_**_Achievement Hunter, Red vs Blue, Gunlance tutorials online_

**_Reading:_** _The Official Dictionary of Sarcasm, The Lost Civilization: DLC_


	5. Chapter 5

The Master Corps

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated._**

**Edited by: dashboardgecko**

* * *

Chapter 5- Joker and the Thief

"Sir Balestra, the team has just been dispatched. Their airship is inbound towards the Tower now." The Corps head turned from the large back window of his office to face the pair of Guild officers standing before his desk.

"Very good… The team consists of Ruby, Wes, Ishmael, and Viper, correct?"

"Yes sir. Most of our hunters have already been dispatched on their assignments, but we should be expecting their returns within the coming hour. They were the four most prepared hunters we had available."

"I already know this. Is Mr. Joshua still working with the magma rubies?"

"Of course. He's studying the gems we already possess in the science division on the basement floor. Last I saw, he and some of the other scientists were testing what they are made from."

"Send word to him that I would like to speak with him at his earliest convenience. Mr. Corrin, if you'd please." One of the officers, Corrin, bowed and turned quickly, making his way to the elevator across the room. His partner turned to go with him, but the black uniformed man stopped him with a quick glare. "Mr. Trance, a moment?"

"Yes, sir?" The officer was a man of average height, an angular jawline, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes. He stood up straight and orderly, awaiting instruction from his superior.

"I would like you to go to the Guild Tower and retrieve the file on Mr. Wes for me. See if you cannot locate the files on Mr. Viper, Mr. Frost, and Ms. Snow as well. These four intrigue me greatly…"

"B-but sir, those are classified! To do so means I'd have to-!"

"I do not care how you must go about obtaining them, it only matters that you retrieve them for me. Must I ask you again, _Mr. Trance?_"

The officer shuddered a little, as if in fear, but bowed to the Corps head in reluctant agreement. "O-of course, sir… I'll get them for you right away."

"Very good… Now then, leave me to my business. Good day to you, Mr. Trance." Balestra turned his back on the man as the officer quickly departed. He removed his wide brimmed uniform hat and set it on top of an open document on the desk behind him before looking intently out the large window at the city below, the late afternoon sun flooding through the clear glass and tinting his chamber a bright yellow-orange.

_If those four manage to successfully hunt the Lucent Nargacuga, the Corps may be able to sustain itself for far longer than I had initially believed… Though sending them out at this time may have been a mistake, if the research on this creature is to be believed… Their ship will arrive at dusk, and tonight is a full moon, which the researchers believe is what gives it its ability to vanish from sight… I suppose time will tell if they are skilled enough to slay the beast at its best._

* * *

"_**Alright, hunters, we're right over the Tower hunting ground! I'm gonna drop you in a couple seconds, so make sure you've got your parachutes on! Good luck down there; I think you'll need it!"**_

The four barely had time to check the straps of their chutes before the floor was pulled away, dropping them all into free fall. Wes, Ishmael, Viper, and Ruby all plummeted towards the immense platform below, the wind whipping past them as they picked up speed. Wes noted that in the half hour it had taken them to arrive, the sun had dipped below the horizon and was replaced by a full moon, visible behind the Tower in the distance. The entire area below was rather unique; no one actually knew why the structure had been built, or why powerful monsters seemingly flocked to it. It wasn't the only one of its kind, though; towers such as this one dotted the land, acting as timeless relics to an age long past.

The hunters steered themselves towards a ledge overlooking the area the monster was apparently known to visit, opening their parachutes and gliding in a gentle descent to the rocky outcropping. Wes landed first, followed by Viper, then Ruby, and lastly, Ishmael. Upon landing, Wes pulled his hood up and checked into the area below, scanning it as closely as he could.

"I don't see anything at all. Just a bunch of fog and stone… This better not have been a waste of time!"

"Maybe we should look around before jumping to any conclusions. I really doubt Balestra would be willing to waste resources on something he didn't think was real," Ruby remarked, pulling her Volvidon mask to the top of her head.

"It might be a bit soon to say, but I believe the Lucent Nargacuga is known as the 'Invisible Predator' for a reason…" Ishmael said. "Think it might be able to turn invisible?"

"What, like a Chameleos?" Viper asked, hooking a coating onto his bow. "I haven't seen any of those in these parts, but I'd hate to see the love-child of a Narga and one of those things."

"Well, there's only one way to find out!" Wes said, clenching his fist in anticipation. _Finally! Something no one has ever fought before! This'll definitely make me well known, I just know it! You won't be the best for long, Pa! _With an excited leap, Wes jumped off the ledge, followed by the other three hunters. The fall wasn't far, only about ten feet, and his leggings absorbed all the shock from the landing, so Wes was on his feet in no time at all. The others landed somewhat gracefully as well, but Wes paid no mind to them as he scanned the area before them. The moonlight from behind the distant tower seemed to make the fog glow.

A slight movement in the mist immediately drew his attention towards a rock off to the right. It wasn't almost anything, only a slight shift in the fog, but Wes wasn't about to drop his guard for anything. He focused his hearing on the area around him, listening for anything that sounded unnatural. He heard the light footsteps of his teammates behind him as they neared him, warily scanning the area for any sign of their quarry.

"I don't see anything…" the Gigginox robed hunter murmured. "I don't know, Ruby. You sure Balestra didn't make a mistake?"

"There's gotta be something around here," she replied, glancing around.

"Hey, be quiet for a sec," Wes whispered back, shushing the huntress when she tried to object. "I heard something…" Sure enough, he heard a light scraping sound like claws on stone, almost silent to the untrained ear. The others stopped moving as well, turning with their backs to each other so they could cover all sides. Wes closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the creature's location…

"Viper! Three O'clock!" The words had barely left Wes' lips when a single arrow was flung from the golden-eyed archer's bow, flying straight and true in the direction the dual blade wielder had called out. There was an audible rebounding sound as the arrow struck a hard, invisible surface and clattered to the ground noisily. The hunters readied themselves as a large monster with a metallic-azure hide seemingly phased into existence before them. It had a long body with wide, sharp-looking wings. Its eyes shone an unnatural red, below which was located a beaked mouth. It had a long, whip-like tail with numerous spikes and scales lining the entire appendage.

"So… this is the so called 'Moon Swift Wyvern'?" Wes remarked, grinning dare-devilishly as he grabbed the handles of his dual blades. He quickly unsheathed the swords from his back, leveling one in the direction of the growling panther-like monster before them. "Alright! This is where the real hunt begins! I'm gonna be the one to take you down!"

"We'll need a plan to take this thing down quick," Ruby began. "Wes, how about you flank right and-"

The hunter immediately charged at the Nargacuga, leaving his comrades in the dust as he neared the quarry of the hunt. The lucent creature let out a short howl before snapping its jaws at him. Wes side-stepped the attack quickly and lashed out at the monster's head, intending to brain it with his extremely sharp sword. To his surprise, though, the blade didn't pierce through the creature's hard skull at all, deflecting off the thick bone and jarring the dual blade wielder's arm in the process. He quickly ducked to avoid the Nargacuga's tail as the creature spun around, and rolled away to avoid having his arm crushed inside the monster's snapping jaws.

"Dammit Wes! What the hell are you trying to pull?!" Ruby shouted, drawing her hammer as she neared the monster's flank and bringing the weapon down on its claw. The Nargacuga yelped in pain before leaping into the air and disappearing from sight.

"What the-? Where did it go?!" Viper asked, his last shot arrow having flown through the air the Moon Swift Wyvern had occupied a moment before. His answer came in the form of the Nargacuga leaping through the air at him, reappearing from the fog like a specter. The archer let out a short, unintelligible curse as he dove away from the inbound monster's bulk.

As the creature slid to a stop, Ishmael ran at it from the side, darting behind the Nargacuga's sharpened wing and attacking its main body with his foreign dual blades. He was only able to land a couple hits before the monster again leapt away and disappeared from sight.

"This thing's hide is thick… My swords are some of the sharpest around, but I could hardly cut through it at all!" the Gigginox robed hunter said, backpedaling towards the other hunters.

"I didn't really do much with the hit I managed to land," Ruby noted, glancing around the area.

"Its skull is extremely thick too… I thought a quick stab in the head would bring it down, but I guess it isn't going to be that simple," Wes said, narrowing his sight on the Lucent Nargacuga as it reappeared before them. The Moon Swift Wyvern raised its tail and began shaking it back and forth, causing the spikes lining the narrow appendage to point outwards as if it was a spiked mace.

"Wait a minute, it isn't even enraged yet! How're its tailspikes out?!" Viper said, surprised. He quickly flung an arrow at the creature as it whipped its tail around, returning fire in the form of numerous purple-tinted azure spikes, forcing the four to split up to avoid the projectiles. Viper backpedaled away from the spikes while Ruby and Ishmael broke off in either direction. Wes, meanwhile, leapt underneath the spikes and again ran at the creature with reckless abandon. Easily seeing his frontal charge, the Nargacuga swiped its tail around at the hunter, intending to spear him with the numerous spikes lining its tail.

However, Wes hadn't planned on a simple frontal assault. He grinned to himself as he dropped to the ground, sliding beneath the tailspikes and the Nargacuga's body. As he slid, he slashed four times in succession, rolling out from beneath the creature and darting away in case it tried to retaliate. A small amount of blood coated the edges of his dual swords, and a few puddles had formed beneath the creature before it moved again, disappearing from sight.

"I got a hit! Its underbelly is a weakpoint!" he called to his teammates, slashing his swords to clear the red liquid off of the blades.

"That isn't an easy spot to hit, y'know!" Viper replied, switching the coating on his bow to a yellowish phial. "If I get enough clear shots, I'll paralyze it!"

"Alright, Ishmael, go for its tail!" Ruby ordered, pulling her mask down over her face. "Break those spikes off! Wes, try and get at its underbelly when it's immobilized! I'll go for its head!"

"Since when did you take over?! I'm doing my own thing!" Wes shouted back defiantly. "I'll hit it where it'll hurt most; I'm not gonna sit underneath it like an idiot!"

"Now's not the time to argue about a plan! Look out!" Ishmael quickly tackled Ruby out of the way as several more purple tinged spikes flew towards them, though one of the projectiles struck him in the side as he went. The robed hunter gasped in shock as the tailspike punched through the study Gigginox hides protecting him and pierced his side.

"Ishmael! Are you okay?" the huntress asked, getting to her feet and helping the downed hunter.

"Ugh… P-poison… there's poison… in the spikes…" he replied, grimacing in pain. His face had noticeably paled, and his eyes were already somewhat glossy.

"Dammit… Wes, Viper! I'm going to pull him into cover and work on his wound! Try to keep this thing busy!"

"I think Wes is already on that," Viper replied, nocking a few arrows and running over to the beast's flank. "Get Ishmael outta here, we've got this!"

The red haired huntress quickly pulled the downed hunter away from the battle zone. Wes, in the meantime, had been engaged with the Nargacuga in a ferocious back and forth struggle, drawing all its attention towards himself. It was almost as if he was dueling the Moon Swift Wyvern; he would deflect its jaws with one blade, and strike out with the other, only to be stopped by the sharp wing the monster brought up to strike the hunter.

"Come on, that the best you got?!" Wes taunted, leaping away from the sharp claws the Nargacuga swung at him. "I've got all night!"

"Wes, duck!" The dual blade user spared a quick glance back before dropping below a volley of arrows coated in paralytic venom, courtesy of Viper. Some of the projectiles deflected off of the harder parts of the Nargacuga, but two of them managed to sink into the monster's flesh, causing it to howl in pain and leap away, disappearing yet again.

"Son of a bitch… Just when we think we have an opening, it does that!" the dual blade user groaned, rejoining the archer in scanning the area for their quarry. "We need a way to track it while it's invisible… Got any ideas?"

"Well, I don't feel like wasting too many arrows on a target I can't see, so until it reappears, I've got nothin'."

Before Wes could speak up, the Moon Swift Wyvern reappeared before them, leaping through the air towards the pair of hunters with a fierce roar. They quickly split up to avoid being crushed or shredded by the monster's claws, and Wes retaliated by thrusting his left hand sword into the Nargacuga's side, actually burying a good portion of the blade into the creature's thick hide. Before he could pull the blade free, though, the monster whipped its whole body around, knocking Wes away with a hard blow to the chest from its lower tail.

Viper yelped as several poisonous spikes flew past him, one of them almost striking him in the head as he rolled away. Wes heard a slight clattering sound as a few phials fell out of the archer's open pouch, one of them smashing into the ground and spilling its bluish contents onto the ground.

"Dammit! My sleep coating! We could've used that!" Viper shouted, exasperated at his own misfortune. He noted one of the other containers that had landed, though, and quickly picked up the cracked glass container. "Wait a sec… Wes, I got a plan!"

"Spare me the details, just do it!" the dual blade wielder replied, having recovered from his injury quickly and reengaging the Nargacuga. Any attention he had shifted to the archer had now fully returned to the Moon Swift Wyvern. His second blade remained firmly stuck into the monster's side, so the hunter replaced it with his left wrist blade instead. _I lost most of my reach in my left arm when I dropped the sword… I'm going to have to make do with what I got… _

The hunter quickly rolled aside to avoid another swipe from the monster's claw, slashing the thin hide on its arm as he recovered. Twisting around as fast as he could, Wes lunged out with his left arm, intending to pierce the Nargacuga's eye with his wrist blade, but he fell short as the azure monster leapt away from him. It was then that Wes noticed what Viper had been up to during the exchange.

"…Viper, what the hell is that?" The archer had simply tied the glass jar to the tip of one of his arrows, nocking the projectile onto the bowstring and pulling back as far as he could. He launched it at the Moon Swift Wyvern as it began to lunge at them, smashing the glass container over its head. The contents of the container, a bright pink liquid, splattered all over the monster's head and part of its back. The creature yelped in surprise as the substance flew into its eyes as well, and it shook its head madly to try and remove the bright paint from its fur.

"A paint coating! I almost never use 'em, but I don't think that this thing can turn invisible when it's got paint splattered all over it!"

"Nice thinking! But now it's my turn!" With the way clear, Wes sprinted at the stunned creature and leapt into the air, drawing the blade from his wrist in midair before thrusting the blade into the Nargacuga's eye socket. With a screech of pain, the monster stumbled back, freeing Wes' wrist blade from its now useless eye. It let out a surprised yelp as it realized it had no vision on the right side, but the small victory the hunter had achieved was soon proved short-lived. The Moon Swift Wyvern inhaled deeply and roared loudly, its remaining eye now glowing with a bright crimson light.

"I think you really pissed 'em off!" Viper warned, nocking another few arrows onto his bow. "We're really gonna need a plan here, Wes!"

"Aside from you shooting when I make an opening? Yeah, we need to do more damage," the dual blade wielder replied.

"Hang on, I've got it! We need to switch places!"

"Whaddya mean? I'm not gonna throw my sword at it!"

"No, I mean you wait for an opportunity while I distract it! I can get its attention better than you; you aren't much of the joker type. I'd say you fit the thief theme much better."

"Oh, I get it… So, the joker fools the monster into paying attention to him…"

"…and the thief takes the chance to slip in and take him by surprise!"

"Alright, try not to get killed, Joker!" Wes dropped to a crouch and rolled away, using the fog layer on the ground as a cover to hide his presence; it helped that a good portion of his suit was white, effectively acting as camouflage in the wispy mist. Viper was making good on holding the creature's attention, shouting at it and flinging arrows at it regularly while staying just outside its reach. It was slow going waiting for a set-up, something Wes found extremely tedious, but his first opportunity to strike out came quickly as the Nargacuga leapt over him in an attempt to pounce onto the archer.

"You're mine!" Wes lunged upwards, stabbing his sword straight through the Moon Swift Wyvern's abdomen as it passed overhead, grabbing his other blade with his free hand and pulling both free in one fluid motion, dropping back into a crouch to conceal himself in the fog once again.

The azure beast, meanwhile, had collapsed to the ground in surprise from the sudden attack, and Viper took advantage of its downed state to launch several volleys of arrows into its side. He must have reapplied the paralytic coating, as the arrows let off yellow bolts of electricity as they penetrated the Nargacuga's flesh. The beast didn't seem to pay Viper any mind though, instead looking around intently for Wes with its glowing red eye.

"Hey, you giant prick! Over here!" A piercing arrow flung from the golden-eyed archer shot straight through the creature's left wing, making it yelp in pain as more of the paralytic coating seeped into its body. Still, the monster resisted the effects, returning its attention to Viper and flinging several poison tipped tailspikes at him. Viper had already moved well out of the way by then though, and before the Lucent Nargacuga could chase after him, Wes struck again from the fog, this time leaping over its back and dealing a powerful blow to its spine, laughing as he again rolled into the fog and disappeared from sight.

A whistle from Viper preceded an arrow again finding its mark in the wounded monster's side, and the beast howled in agony as the projectile buried itself into its flesh. "Eyes over here, you dumb beast!" The monster shot an angry glare at the archer, who had already nocked another arrow onto his green-scaled bow. "Or should I say, 'eye'?!" He shot the arrow straight for Nargacuga's head, but it leapt away before the projectile could find its mark. The Moon Swift Wyvern had attempted to turn itself invisible as it did so, but the large splatter of pink paint covering its head and back remained visible, allowing the hunter's to keep a visual on its movement.

The beast landed nearby Wes, who immediately took the chance and attacked again, slicing his swords three times at the monster's tail and shattering numerous spikes off of the lash. He ducked away again as the monster turned to face its assailant, smirking to himself as the beast tried to pick him out from the fog. _Guess your advantages are being turned against you now! _Viper shot the confused wyvern once again, drawing its attention back to him and signaling to Wes to run at it from behind.

Having already decided this would be his course of action, Wes broke into a sprint towards the Moon Swift Wyvern as it neared Viper, who had been charging at it with several arrows nocked in his bow. The wounded monster snapped at the archer with its powerful jaws, but the golden-eyed bow user evaded with a dexterous jump, kicking off of the monster's head as its mouth clamped shut where he had once been. At the same time, Wes had leapt up the Nargacuga's back leg and jumped over its back.

As the hunters passed each other, both dealt a powerful strike to the Moon Swift Wyvern: Wes slashed both of his swords deep into the monster's lower back, and Viper released five paralytic arrows directly into its upper back. Both landed on either side of the heavily injured monster with a roll, and Wes turned quickly and dealt another blow to the Moon Swift Wyvern's face, though his weapon deflected off of the creature's tough skull again.

Viper ran along the monster's side and fired another volley of arrows into it, rejoining the dual blade wielder. It seemed that the paralytic coating Viper had applied to his projectiles finally took effect, immobilizing the Lucent Nargacuga. The creature stood in place, spasming every so often as it began to lose control of its nerves.

"Looks like we picked a good time to get back into the fight!" Wes glanced over to see Ruby and a fully recovered Ishmael running at the Nargacuga's flank, drawing their weapons as they neared. Ruby immediately went for the head, slamming her revolving hammer into the Moon Swift Wyvern's face repeatedly. Ishmael went for the tail, hacking into the spikes with his eastern-made dual blades and shattering several of them with a single swing. Viper began to launch single, precise arrows at the monster, careful to avoid his teammates with the projectiles.

Wes, being as hot blooded as he was, wasn't going to simply let the others take advantage of the opening, though. The hooded hunter ran at the still stunned monster and kicked off of its wing, leaping onto its back just as easily as before. Sheathing his right handed sword on his back, the hunter drew his second wrist blade a thrust it into the Nargacuga's back and tightened his grip on its fur, holding on tight as the monster finally regained its ability to move and shook itself to regain the feeling in its body. It almost immediately began to throw itself this way and that, launching poisonous spikes in every direction and shaking itself wildly to try and throw that hunter off of its back.

Still, Wes' grip held, and using his free sword, he began to repeatedly slash into the monster's back, initially having difficulties cutting through the hard fur and scales covering it but managing to cut his way through and drawing more and more blood with each slash. Eventually, though, his grip failed, and Wes found himself thrown off of the Lucent Nargacuga's back, landing hard on his back and rolling to a stop. He coughed a little as he got back to his feet, finding himself joined by the others in his party.

"We've almost got it now… We need to hit it where it hurts," Ruby said, glancing between them all. "I have an idea that might work, but I need you all to trust me enough to let me do it."

"Viper and I we're doing just fine a minute ago!" Wes replied, a confident smirk crossing his face. "You two ought to just hang back and watch us take this thing down! You've got a front row seat, after all!"

"We don't know if this thing is even close to death yet though!" Ishmael protested. "You've done a lot of damage to it from what I can see, but it still doesn't look like it's tiring out."

"Not for long it won't!" Viper replied, nocking another arrow onto his bow. "Wes, let's hit it from the side!"

"Got it! You two, try and keep its attention off of us!" Wes and Viper immediately ducked away as the Moon Swift Wyvern charged at the group of hunters, leaving Ruby and Ishmael to dodge the monster's bulk. Ishmael recovered first, lunging at the monster's side and slashing it with both swords at once, leaving an X shaped cut in its side. He was sent flying, though, when the Nargacuga whipped its tail around, striking him across the upper torso with the whip-like appendage.

Ruby ducked below the tail as it neared her, swinging her hammer around and slamming her gun hammer into the Moon Swift Wyvern's head, a burst of flames following the impact. The huntress quickly went to strike again, but the monster leapt away before she could land another blow.

"Wes, now!" Viper immediately stood up from the fog and shot an arrow into the side of the Nargacuga's neck, causing it to flinch in pain and turn towards the archer. In doing so, it failed to notice the fast-approaching dual blade wielder charging it from the front, and with a devilish grin the hunter held his swords aloft, focusing his emotions and his spirit into the blades and becoming enveloped in a red aura of spirit energy.

"Let's dance!"

* * *

"Trance, I've already told you, I can't let you see the Guildmaster right now! He's in a meeting with the city council."

"I understand perfectly, believe me. Sir Balestra didn't wish for me to speak with the Guildmaster, though, he told me he left something of value in Mr. Graffin's office, and I am to retrieve it."

The Guild officer was currently engaged in a rather frustrating debate with the Guildmaster's secretary. Despite having thought up of an elaborate cover story along the way to the tower to retrieve the documents, the woman behind the front desk still seemed completely opposed to allowing him access to the man's office. While he found the entire debacle to be both wholly unnecessary and exceedingly bothersome, Trance forced himself to keep a calm, business-like demeanor and to handle the situation formally.

"It would only take me a moment or so, Elesa. Is it really that big of an issue?"

"Yes, it is. I'm not to allow anyone into his office while he's away, for any reason."

"Not even an old friend?" he asked, leaning forward onto the desk and tipping his hat up.

"Trance, last time we saw each other, you were barely even a member of the Enforcement Division and you almost killed a man for stealing a loaf of bread! We might have been friends back at the Guild Academy, but that doesn't mean I can make an exception for you. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait until Mr. Graffin returns."

"You know how much Balestra despises waiting…"

"We all do, Trance. I'm really sorry, but you'll have to come back another time." Despite her words, the woman didn't seem at all apologetic, which Trance could easily see.

"…Very well then. Good to see you again, Lesa. We really must get together for a drink sometime."

"Flirting didn't work at the academy, and it definitely won't now, Trance. Do I need to show you the way out?"

"No, I'm quite alright. And for the record, that man pulled a knife on me first." The Guild officer reluctantly turned and walked to the staircase, sighing to himself as he began to descend the steps. Not intending to give up so easily, though, he waited until he was well out of sight before opening a window and climbing out onto a scaffolding surrounding the tower. The wind was rather fierce, blowing harshly against the man as he slowly made his way across the wooden platforms.

"Good thing the restorers have the day off today…" he mumbled to himself. An especially harsh gust of wind blew his hat off his head, and despite his fast attempt to catch the red object, it flew away from him, spiraling slowly to the city hundreds of feet below. Trance swallowed nervously before continuing on, eventually ending up below the Guildmaster's office. "Also a good thing Graffin keeps a window open all the time… Gotta be careful though… One slip and I'm done for…"

Carefully finding a sizable lump of bone to use as a hand hold, Trance began to meticulously climb towards the window. Although the distance was only about ten feet or so, it felt a lot farther for the clamoring officer's shaky grips and cautious footholds. The climb seemed to take far longer, but after a few moments the officer dropped into the Guildmaster's office and quietly made his way over to the filing cabinets that contained the dossiers on all the hunters in the city.

"Let's see here… W… Ah, here it is, Wes… Looks like this is it… Don't think anyone else has eyes like that, at least," he murmured, slipping the file into the bag he carried with him. "Okay, V… Viper, I believe… Weird name, but that's number two... S is for Snow… Huh, she's definitely quite the looker… And lastly, Frost… Even in his registration picture he has his helmet on? I'm pretty sure that's illegal… Alright, that's all of em'…"

The jiggling of the doorknob drew his attention immediately; someone was coming! Trance looked around quickly in a brief panic, trying to find a hiding place, and settled on a nearby storage box with an open top. The door opened hardly a second after he had hidden himself, and Elesa quickly stepped in, gazing around the office slowly before walking over to Graffin's desk and setting a stack of papers on top of it. The secretary quickly departed, making sure to check the room one final time before locking the door again.

"Dammit Lesa, you almost gave me a heart attack…" Trance quickly made his way out of the office the same way he came in, reentering the tower and quickly descending to the bottom floor using the main elevator. Some of the other officers who saw him in the elevator gave him strange looks due to his lack of a uniform hat, but he explained quickly that it had been lost when he had removed it on the observation platform.

Having obtained what the Corps Head had ordered, Trance left the Guild Tower, intent on returning to the Master Corps HQ building. Walking across the bridge leading to the tower in the center of the desert oasis, the officer yelped and leapt back a little in surprise as a red object suddenly flew in front of him and landed on the bridge.

"…My hat? How long did it- Oh, whatever…" The officer picked his uniform hat up from the ground, dusted it off, and placed it snugly on his head before going on his way, whistling a merry tune to himself.

* * *

Wes launched himself at the Nargacuga in a flurry of blades, slicing this way and that, cutting long gashes into the surprised creature's body as he moved below its head and into a crouch, slashing wildly into its chest. The Moon Swift Wyvern howled in agony before leaping away again, though it stumbled and fell because of its injuries. "Come on, come on! I'm not done yet! Get back here!" Wes followed after the beast intently as the other hunters moved to attack it as well.

"Wes, listen for a sec!" Ruby called. "I know how we can bring it down! Just listen for a second!"

"Alright, alright, fine, what is it?!" he answered, somewhat begrudgingly.

"I think a show off like you will like this; get in front of me, and I'll launch you into the air above it! Try and take it out when you fall!"

"Are you insane?! How would that even work?!" Ishmael called, overhearing the plan as he neared the struggling monster.

"I like it!" Wes answered, grinning dare-devilishly and losing his previously hostile tone. "Guess you know me a bit better than I thought! Alright, get ready!" The huntress moved behind him while Viper and Ishmael backed away to avoid getting in the way of their allies' seemingly foolhardy plan.

"Alright, jump, blondie!" Though irritated by the nickname yet again, Wes quickly leapt upwards, landing on the back of the head of Ruby's hammer. The momentum behind her swing carried him upwards, and a discharge of fire from the hammer's internal chamber launched the dual blade user high into the air. He laughed excitedly as he flew through the air, twisting in midair and falling rapidly towards the weakened beast below. The creature barely managed to turn its sight skyward before Wes buried both of his swords into its skull using the momentum from his fall to strengthen their piercing power.

"'Eye' see you, Narga," Wes chuckled, seeing one of his blades had pierced the creature's remaining eye. He yanked both blades free of the monster's skull and leapt off of its back, landing in a crouch and sheathing the swords as he heard the Moon Swift Wyvern's dying roar and collapse behind him.

"Now _that _is what I'm talking about!" Viper victoriously stated, collapsing his bow and sheathing it on his back. "Nice finisher, too!"

"What can I say, I aim to please," Wes replied somewhat smugly, getting to his feet and performing a rather elaborate hand shake with the archer. "We might need to work on that a little…"

"I still don't get how that worked, but I'm not complaining," Ishmael said, sighing a bit and drinking a potion. "I gotta say, hearing about how my brother got his ass whooped by you definitely makes a lot more sense now."

"Brother? Sorry, you might have to specify: I've been fighting people somewhat regularly for the past couple days."

"Curt. You met him on the boat, remember? He's my older brother. Said Ruby here paid him and another hunter to fight you."

"We didn't bribe him!" Ruby defended. "We just… had to persuade him a little."

"Well, you saw how far that got you, eh?" Wes mocked. "Alright, let's call down the airship. We bagged our mystery monster, after all!"

"On it." Viper pulled out the signal flare and launched the bright red projectile into the air. Knowing it would be a little while before the ship arrived though, the four decided to explore the area a little. Ruby investigated a pile of elder dragon bones while Ishmael inspected the Lucent Nargacuga's body. Wes and Viper decided to look around for any of the tail spikes the beast had launched during the fight.

"Most tail spikes Nargas launch shatter on impact," Viper commented, picking up one of the fragments of a broken spike. "They grow in so fast, they don't usually get strong enough to survive the force of striking hard objects."

"But the ones that don't get launched get a lot stronger the longer they remain," the dual blade user replied. "My pa made a weapon using a Narga's tailspike once. What are you looking to use one for?"

"Well, I was hoping to make a lucky arrowhead with one, but seeing those wrist blades of yours, I think I want one of those now," the archer replied, gesturing towards the hunter's arm bracers.

"Hah, well, if you want, I can get my pa to make one for you. These things are pretty damn nice to have," Wes noted drawing both of the blades from his wrists to show them off. "Sure, not the best thing to kill a wyvern with, but they come through in a pinch. Plus, they work pretty handily as carving knives."

"Seriously?! That'd make my day, bud! One question though."

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Will I have to pay for this?"

"Knowing my pa, yes."

Ah well, guess that's the breaks… Hey, lookie here!" The archer paused and reached down, where a silvery-azure spike was embedded in the hard stone ground. The archer carefully plucked it free, mindful of the poison coating the edge. The spike looked sharp and strong, a perfect specimen for a wrist blade. "Think this'll do?"

"Probably! I'll send this to him when we get back. I'm going to have to teach you how to use it, though. If you aren't careful, you could lose a finger."

"If it'll give me an option when I'm stuck in close range, I'll take it."

Not long after, two airships landed on the platform by the monster's corpse. The hunters helped tie the carcass below the larger of the two before boarding the second ship and taking off into the night sky.

"Wes, why were you so against working with us before?" Ruby asked, taking a seat on one of the benches inside the cabin across from Wes and Viper. "You practically blew us off when we tried to work together to take it down."

"Whattya mean? Wes and I wrecked that thing!" Viper said victoriously, fist-bumping the dual blade wielder as he did.

"I meant with Ishmael and I! There was no coordination with the rest of us at all! We could've been really badly injured if things hadn't gone the way they did!"

"I don't see why you're making such a big deal about this," Wes replied, crossing his arms and leaning back. "We didn't get that badly injured. In fact, aside from Ishmael taking that tailspike for you, all we got is a couple bruises here and there."

"That's not the point! If we're going to survive hunts in the future, I need to know my teammates are watching my back, not trying to show off and make themselves look better!"

"Hey, we covered you, didn't we?" Viper retorted. "If Wes and I hadn't kept it off of you, neither you or Ishmael would've made it, lady!"

"Well, it's not like I couldn't do anything..." Ishmael muttered. "I just didn't bring antidotes with me. I could still fight."

"Ishmael, you aren't really helping here," Ruby sighed. "Look, blondie, you need to shape up next time. Not everyone is going to want to watch you show off all the time, and that attitude will only get you killed later on!"

"Yeah, sure, we'll see about that," the hunter smugly replied. "You think that I am the way I am for no reason? Let me put it this way for you, red-head. Most people have something to prove. Me? I've got _everything _to prove." _I'm not going to be in your shadow forever, Pa... Just you wait. You taught me everything, but I'm going to learn even more than you did! We'll see who the best is then!_

* * *

Trance approached the door to the office, taking a moment to compose himself before knocking on the Corps Head's door. "You may enter." The officer quickly opened it and stepped into the office, walking over to Balestra's desk. "Ah, Mr. Trance. Did you acquire the files I requested?"

"Yes sir, they're right here," he replied, pulling the dossiers out of his courier bag and handing them over to the crimson-eyed man.

"I trust they were not too… difficult to access?"

"It was not easy, but I managed."

"What lengths did you have to go to retrieve them?"

"I… Well, I tried to ask the receptionist to allow me to enter Mr. Graffin's office, but the old coot decided to lock down the place when he's away. So… I moved onto the scaffolding outside and I climbed in through an open window."

"I see… How very dedicated you are."

"I aim to please, sir."

"And you have, Mr. Trance. You are dismissed. I will call for you when I have another task." The officer saluted Balestra before turning and leaving the office, sighing in relief as he shut the door behind him.

"Why is it so nerve-wracking to talk with him? I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest…!" he mumbled to himself, stepping away from the office with a short sigh of relief. "At least I'm off for the rest of the night…" He walked down the hall towards the stairs; the elevator had broken down again, and was being repaired, meaning the stairs were the only option. Before he reached them, though, he saw another man walking up the steps. Trance quickly stepped aside to allow him to pass, noting his blue captain's coat.

"Thank you," the captain said, reaching the top of the stairs. "Pretty awful having to walk all the way from the ground floor up here…"

"I agree, Sir Dustin. The mechanic said the elevator repairs were going well, but that the design was still prone to the occasional failure."

"You don't have to be as formal around me as you do with Balestra, officer," Dustin laughed. "I have a meeting with the man now, actually. I don't recall seeing you around here before though. Are you new?"

"Ah, yes, I am. Sir Balestra personally requested for me to act as a Guild representative of the Master Corps. My name is Trance," the officer said, removing his hat and bowing slightly.

"Trance, eh? Peculiar name, no?"

"So I've been told. If I may ask, what is your meeting with the Corps Master about?"

"Just an update on something he wanted me to look into for him. I can't tell you much more, though, Have to retain some confidentiality."

"Ah, pardon my curiosity. I won't hold you any longer then, Sir- uh, Dustin." The captain nodded with a slight smile before walking past and entering Balestra's office, leaving the officer alone at the stairs. "Quite the odd assortment of people Sir Balestra has gathered here…"

* * *

"Welcome back! I guess that Brachydios wasn't anything you guys couldn't handle, eh?" Sal asked, seeing the group of four hunters returning from the Volcano.

"Hah! It wasn't exactly easy, but we took it down in no time!" Harlin boasted. "Smeared it into paste even!"

"Well, that was Frost's idea," Snow mentioned. "Still, this is the reason we're in the Master Corps! To hunt everything other hunters can't!"

"That monster in particular was causing some major damage to the Volcano, and it was getting closer to a nearby town too, so it's really good that you could stop it," the liaison said, smiling cheerfully. "You all should be proud!"

"Thanks, Sal. But if you don't mind, I've gotta go and see a smith. My armor took a big hit for me back there," Jerome said, waving farewell to the others and leaving.

"Might as well join him. My axe is a bit cracked on the edge…" Harlin departed as well, leaving Frost and Snow with Sal.

"I think we could use a break now," Snow said. "It's only day two, and we've already had two jobs. We don't have another job, do we?"

"Nope! You two are all set; rest easy!" Sally replied cheerfully. "Oh, and your friends Wes and Viper are on a job right now, just in case you were wondering."

"Alright, thanks!" The twins made their way up to the third floor, passing a Guild officer walking from the upper floors as they went. The man looked after Snow a little as she walked past, but the huntress didn't pay much mind as she and her brother returned to their rooms. She sighed exhaustedly as she sat down, beginning to change out of her armor.

_I wonder what those two are after… I hope they're okay. Those two are alright, even if Viper's a bit of a goofball, and Wes is a bit of a showoff… Maybe they'll make trustworthy friends… I just hope Frost agrees. He'd better watch that arm of his too… First time he used that quick draw he almost took his arm off! I just wish he'd talk to people again… At least he'll talk to me sometimes, but it isn't easy speaking for two… Guess I'll just have to wait and see._

* * *

"I see... Very well done, all of you," Balestra said to the four hunters lined up in his office. "This is a tremendous milestone for the Corps. You all should be quite pleased with yourselves."

"It wasn't anything we couldn't handle," Ishmael replied with a quick bow. "Are we dismissed then?"

"Yes, you three may go," the Corps head said, motioning to Wes, Viper, and Ishmael. "Ms. Ruby, I would like to speak with you. Good day to the rest of you."

The three hunters departed Balestra's office and made their ways back to their rooms. As it turned out, Ishmael was on the same floor as Wes, which the dual blade wielder found to be a somewhat nice surprise. _Good to know there's someone on this level I can talk to... Speaking of which... _"Sapphire, you should really work on your hiding skills," Wes said, turning to face the same potted plant the huntress had hid behind last time. "It really isn't that hard to see you back there."

"Aww, and I was hoping to surprise you!" the blue-haired huntress teased. "How did the hunt go? Is Ruby alright?"

"Yeah, we all made it back just fine. Red-head's still in Balestra's office, if you were looking for her."

"I was just wondering if you all were okay. I heard you all went off before sundown. My team made it back about an hour ago. What was your job?"

"We had to hunt something called a 'Lucent' Nargacuga. Ever hear the rumors about one?"

"No, but it sounds like it wasn't easy! Is that some kind of new subspecies?"

"Yeah, apparently it's the first one anyone has ever hunted. Still, it wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"Oh, so since you hunted it first, did you come up with a nickname for it? That's the tradition, after all!"

"I thought Lucy made the most sense, but Ruby thought we should call it Cloud."

"Lucy? Wow, that's clever! Ruby wasn't ever really good with nicknames," Sapphire laughed. "Oh, I almost forgot! I saw someone bring a package into your room earlier. Guess someone sent you a gift!"

"Really? Guess I'll take a look then. Thanks for telling me."

"Don't mention it! See ya later, Wes!" The hunter entered his room with a quick wave to the huntress, flipping the lights on and closing the door. He saw that, just as Sapphire said, there was a box on his desk, with a letter attached to it. Wes knew who the gift was from just by seeing the intricately written 'Y' on the box's side. The hunter first opened the envelope, reading the familiarly written lines over carefully.

_Wes,_

_Glad to hear you made it to Loc Lac safely! It used to take almost a week to make that journey when I was younger. Good to see Dustin's made a career out of sailing, though. Tell him your mother and I said hi, would you?_

_And trust me, I understand the feeling of getting a nice place to sleep for once. I had to stay in that same room for a few years since your mother claimed the main bedroom. But because you plan on staying so long, I've taken the liberty of reconverting your room back into my workshop. Hope you don't mind!_

_It's good of you to have made some friends this early on as well. I'm sure it'll make the whole experience much more enjoyable for you. Just be glad I'm writing this letter instead of your mother; you know how she gets on your case about chasing after women. _

_As for your recent brawls, I did teach you how to fight for a reason, after all. Just try not to solve everything with your fists, son. Your head can be a powerful weapon too, and no, I don't mean you should go around head-butting people. And while the occasional bet is fine and all, don't develop a gambling habit. The men in this family don't always have the best luck when it comes to allocating funds. That being said, thank you for the donation, Wes, it is very much appreciated._

_Can't wait to hear from you next! Stay safe, and be careful out there!_

_Pa and Ma_

_P.S. I sent over a few gifts for you as well. I'm pretty sure you know how to use them, but all the same, try not to brain someone on accident. Keep up the good work!_

Wes grinned eagerly as he tore into the box his father sent him, using one of his wrist blades to pry the wooden lid off. Inside were several lengths of rope with sharp metal knives on one end. "Rope darts! I guess Pa finally managed to make the ropes strong enough to use without them breaking!"

These were a primitive, if effective, design Wes' father had come up with years before, and the two had spent a good amount of time practicing with them on smaller monsters. They hadn't been very effective on the larger ones, unfortunately, so the crafty man had decided to find a way to make the rope strong enough to resist snapping when too much pressure was applied. "I ought to keep one handy…"

Placing the rest of the weapons in his item box, Wes took a seat at his desk, beginning to write a letter back.

_Dear Pa and Ma,_

_It's been a pretty eventful three days since arriving! I'm sure you both will be happy to know that I've been making waves over here with my progress. I've had two jobs so far: an expedition into some ruins in the southern islands, and a hunt in the Tower region. _

_The ruins were pretty interesting, but they were so broken down I had to make full use of my free running. Ever had to run through a tunnel to avoid getting crushed? It ain't easy, I'll tell you that. Inside, I found a few things of interest. There were a bunch of ancient weapon schematics on the floor of the innermost room, and there was a strange red stone in there as well. The Corps Head, Balestra, called it a 'magma ruby'. I'm not really sure what they are, but apparently they're important enough to double my income for bringing one back. And speaking of weapon schematics, I kept one aside that you might find some interest in, so I'm sending that back to you, pa. Maybe you can make them!_

_The Tower quest was much more of a challenge, though. Me, Viper, and two others had to go after a 'Lucent Nargacuga', a rare subspecies of the original monster. What made the fight difficult was the fact that the thing could turn invisible at a moment's notice, which, on top of its speed, made it a pretty challenging creature. Still, we brought it down, and Balestra made sure to reward us quite well for the hunt. _

_I do have a quick request from Viper, actually. After the quest, we found one of the Narga's tailspikes in the ground, still intact. Think you could make a wrist blade for him using it? Apparently he's a bit jealous of mine. I told him there'd be a fee and everything, so I'm going to send the spike over as well for you to work on. And don't worry, I'll teach him how to use it without slicing his hand open! But be careful with the thing; it's got a poisonous edge, and it's pretty damn sharp._

_Well, that about wraps it up over here. Let me know how my friends back at Moga are doing, and tell them I said hey! Until next time!_

_Wes_

The hunter sealed the letter and packed both the weapon schematic and the cloth wrapped Lucent Nargacuga tailspike into an envelope. _I'll send this to them tomorrow. _Satisfied with both the day's events and his letter home, Wes crashed on his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

**_Author Notes: _**_So, funny story about this chapter that dashboardgecko pointed out to me while editing. The same week I sent this to him to review, the most recent Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate trailer was released, in which a maneuver quite similar to the one Wes pulled off happened. I didn't actually see the trailer until a few days after this was brought to my attention, but the similarity between Capcom's ideas and mine seem very funny. Or maybe I just know things that all of you don't! ...Yes, the former is more likely. I've also found music to be a very helpful way to write a fight scene. One song in particular seemed to stick out in particular, enough so that I named the chapter after it: Joker and the Thief by Wolfmother. It seemed to fit Viper and Wes relatively well, and I expect this strategy to be employed in future hunts as well... Except, y'know, in more grandiose ways. Ah, and I almost forgot! I finally got a cover image to use, graciously hand drawn and colored by none other than yours truly! Let me know what you think of it; I'm a hobby artist, so feedback on whether my art sucks or not is always appreciated. Alright, hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time!_

**_Playing: MH3U, Dead Rising 3, AC4_**

**_Listening to: Wolfmother, The Offspring, Papa Roach_**

**_Watching: Whatever happens to be on T.V./ Netflix_**

**_Reading: The Lost Civilization: DLC, the Xbox One operator's manual, the occasional TV Tropes page_**


	6. Chapter 6

The Master Corps

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated. Jeremy belongs to FatalisSlayer101._**

**Edited by: dashboardgecko**

* * *

Chapter 6- Cold Blooded

"So, Wes, what do you think would be a worse situation: falling off a cliff without a parachute, or getting stuck underneath a rockslide?"

"I'll admit either would be a nightmare, but probably the cliff one."

"Personally, I think that the worst situation you could be in is trapped below a boulder underwater. It'd be awful, drowning and being crushed at the same time!"

"I can beat that, easy. Can you imagine falling out of an airship and fighting a monster at the same time? That'd be the worst!"

"…Geez, Wes, you really outdid us there. When did you think of that?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Ah, come on! Something had to have made you think of-"

"Viper, give it a rest. No need to pry, right?"

"Yeah, sure, just like I don't need to pry into you and Frost having your quality 'alone time', eh?"

"Viper!"

"Wait, wait, I was joking! Ow!"

"You really should've seen that coming, y'know?"

"I kinda did, but I still think it was worth it…"

The white haired huntress shot a threatening glare at the golden-eyed archer from across the table she, Wes, Frost, and Viper were sitting at. Fortunately, Viper was able to tell when enough was enough and dropped that particular joke, instead focusing on the newly forming bruise on his shoulder.

The four had gone out to the tavern Wes had fought with Varon in, and the dual blade wielder was able to treat the others to a rather sizeable meal free of charge, since the tavern owner was still very appreciative of the hunter driving the thug off.

"So, what do you guys think our next assignments will be?" Snow asked after calming down a little. "I honestly wouldn't mind a break after yesterday, but I think an exploration mission would be okay with me. Those ruins we were at a couple days ago were really something!"

"I gotta say, it would be kinda interesting to go to another one, but I'd like to see what every kind of assignment is like first," Viper replied, brushing his black hair away from his left eye, though it quickly fell back into place. "Maybe an escort mission, or an elder dragon fight!"

"I heard from one of the guys on my floor that escort missions were kind of a pain in the ass," Wes commented. "He said the guy they had to protect kept on running off to collect things, and almost got killed about seven times because he wouldn't follow them. I think an elder dragon quest would be something, but let's hope we don't have to escort any idiots anytime soon."

"So, basically either an elder dragon quest or an exploration mission then?" the huntress asked. "I think either of those would be pretty fun! What about you, Frost?" The long sword user's only response was a light shrug, as if to say he really didn't care too much what they had to do.

"Y'know, I'd say he's like a ghost considering how little he talks, but that would also mean I couldn't see him, and he's tall enough for two people," the archer mumbled to Wes. The dual blade wielder chuckled in amusement, silently agreeing to the statement.

"What? Is something funny?"

"No, it's nothing, don't worry about it," Viper said with a short laugh. "So, what do you all think about his lordship up in the tower?"

"You mean Balestra?" Wes asked. "He kinda creeps me out, but I think the guy's alright. Maybe a bit too dedicated to the job, but still."

"I really haven't seen him since our second day here, so I'm not really sure what to think of him," Snow said with a quick shrug. "What about you, V?"

"I think he's a long-winded, boring, and ineffective leader," the archer replied. "Seriously, all he does is tell us about why failure isn't an option, and make thinly veiled threats to us about the consequences of a screw up! Not really a good way to inspire people, y'know?"

"While I do agree with you on that, I'd say we drop this conversation before that Corps officer gets here," Wes said quickly, motioning towards a man in a red uniform with a small Master Corps badge on his chest and hat.

The Corps Officer quickly approached their table, formally folding his hands behind himself as he came to a stop at the table's head. "Sir Balestra has requested the four of you to return to Headquarters. There are new assignments that you've all been listed on. If you'd please…" The man nodded towards the tavern exit, and the four hunters shared a collective sigh as they got up to follow.

"So much for a break…" Snow mumbled, clearly disappointed. "I really hope this doesn't turn into a 'job every day' thing…"

"It isn't that bad. I mean, sure, hunts are tiring and all, but I doubt we'll get worked to death here," Wes replied quietly. "It's only day five. Give it some time, and it'll make a break even better."

"I guess you're right. Now, about the whole 'fighting a monster while falling out of an airship' thing…"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

* * *

The four hunters stepped into the Corps Head's office, led by the officer they had found out was named Trance. The guy seemed friendly enough, and he actually wasn't much older than the others, but he had seemed to get a little tongue-tied the one time he talked directly to Snow. Wes and Viper had just laughed it off, but Frost became more on edge after the short exchange, partially placing himself between the two and giving Trance a bit of a scare. The man didn't talk to them much after that, considering it was only a short walk between the tavern and HQ.

"Excellent work bringing them here on such short notice, Mr. Trance." Balestra pushed himself up from his desk, closing a rather thick folder and placing his black uniform hat back on top of his head. The crimson-eyed man folded his hands behind himself as he walked towards the four hunters, who were lined up in anticipation of another speech. "I am certain you all wish to know what your assignments today will be."

"Nah, it's not like it's our job or anything," Viper replied sarcastically, gaining short chuckles from both Wes and Snow. Even Trance seemed to be holding a slight smirk back, though the Corps Head's own reaction was not one of humor.

"I do not appreciate your sarcasm, Mr. Viper, and if you insist on handling yourself so… unprofessionally in my presence, I can very well ensure that this no longer _is_ your job. Am I clear?"

"Eh… crystal, yeah…"

"Now then, I am inclined to inform you that all of you will not be on the same assignment. Mr. Viper, you will not be accompanying your acquaintances here on their job. Your teammates for today's mission are waiting for you on the ground floor."

"Wait, seriously?! Ah, that blows, why do I-?!" Viper protested loudly, but a piercing glare from the Corps Head quickly shut him up. "Fine, fine… Try not to get killed out there, guys," the archer mumbled, turning and heading towards the door.

"Watch your back, Joker," Wes replied, giving him a quick thumbs up. Viper grinned confidently and returned the gesture before moving out of sight.

"As for you three…" Wes turned back to face Balestra, who had taken his place in front of his desk. "Your assignment is of a rather… different matter this time."

"What do you mean?" Snow asked curiously. "Is it something we haven't done before?"

"No, but it is a rather delicate situation. Only a few hours ago, we received word that a Stygian Zinogre was sighted not far from Hearth, a hunting village on the edge of the Tundra. In that same report, we were informed that a traveler saw what seemed to be an ancient ruin in the side of an ice shelf."

"Let me guess: kill the Zinogre, search the ruin?" Wes asked assumingly.

"You are only partially correct, Mr. Wes. While the Stygian Zinogre is indeed a threat and it would be beneficial to slay it, it is not an objective of your assignment. All you must do is locate and search the ruins for any relics within. You must also keep the Zinogre from coming too close to Hearth."

"Well, why not just hunt it then?" Snow pointed out. "That'll solve the problem."

"The report stated it was a very dangerous specimen, much larger than an ordinary member of its species and far more powerful," Balestra replied. "While I have no doubt you would be able to slay it, I do not expect you to. In fact, it isn't even certain that you will encounter it. However, I do understand you may have to face it as well. As such, I've taken the precaution to authorize a fifth member to accompany you on this assignment."

"Fifth member? We don't even know who the fourth is," Wes commented. "Who's that going to be?"

"I have chosen Ms. Sapphire to accompany you. I sent her off some time ago to retrieve your fifth teammate, so she should be returning any moment now."

"Oh, hey guys!" The three hunters turned to face the door, where Sapphire and another man stood. The huntress wore a suit of Lagombi armor and had a blue-bladed short sword strapped to her waist, with a similarly colored round shield slung over her shoulder. Both the sword and shield seemed to be high quality versions of the standard hunter's knife and buckler. The hunter accompanying her was equipped with a full suit of Jhen Mohran mail, crafted from G level materials, and a bioluminescent azure long sword strung across his back.

"Great timing," Snow said, greeting the pair. "We were just talking about you! Nice to have you along, Saph. Who's number five there?"

"The name's Jeremy," the man replied. He seemed to be much older than any of the other hunters there, to the point where he looked almost the same age as Balestra. "I'm not sure if you all are ready or not, but we should get going ASAP. Grab the rest of your things, and let's get moving." The hunters assembled there followed after the older hunter to the lower floors, leaving Balestra and Trance as the only people left in the office.

"Now then, Mr. Trance, I have another request for you."

"Sir?"

"Mr. Joshua and I were meant to have a meeting two days ago, and he failed to arrive and explain himself. I would like you to go to the science department and compile a report on his findings, then return to me."

"Of course, right away."

"And one last piece of advice: do not agree to any tests he asks you to partake in. I don't need another officer getting a limb amputated. Am I clear?"

"Y-yes, crystal clear, Sir."

* * *

"…and after Amethyst put it to sleep, Emerald set off the bombs and killed it!" Sapphire finished. The blue-haired huntress had been relating her last hunt to the other four in the airship, which had been flying for only a few minutes by then. She seemed to be trying to get the entire group to talk, though Wes knew that her efforts would be wasted when it came to Frost. "It was pretty awesome."

"Wow, that's impressive!" Snow said, clearly meaning it. The two huntresses seemed to get along extremely well, both being rather talkative by nature. "And even after the blast, its horns were still undamaged enough to carve off and use?"

"Yup! I didn't really do that much, but I was glad I could do what I could."

"You're kidding, right?" Wes asked. "You said the bombs were your idea, same thing with putting it to sleep. If anything, you planned the whole strategy from the start!"

"There's no shame in fighting a support role," Jeremy pointed out. "I've been on hundreds of hunts that would've failed if it weren't for someone helping out from the background. Some hunters find it hard to even try and back up their teammates."

"Still, sometimes I want to try and do a bit more for the others on my team," Sapphire replied sheepishly. Wes noted that almost any praise she received resulted in a slight blush filling her cheeks. "I just want to make sure everyone makes it out alright at the end of the day, you know?"

"There's nothing wrong with that," Snow cheerfully stated. "It's good to know you care so much about others! I'm sure you'll do just fine on this quest, don't you worry."

"Thanks, Snow, I'm sure you're probably right."

"So, what's your story, Jeremy?" Wes asked the fifth hunter. "Balestra must think you're something if he had you join us."

"Well, I wasn't the only one considered to go along, but I was the only one available at the time. Something I'm not sure you all know is that there are some 'honorary members' of the Master Corps. If Balestra finds it necessary to have some added help for a job, he asks one of us to help out."

"Honorary members? Why not just join full time?" Snow asked.

"The Guild didn't want to entrust every single experienced hunter to the Corps, so as a compromise they allowed Balestra to request our help if the job is dangerous enough. I have a few young apprentices myself, after all, and if there aren't enough skilled hunters able to train the next generation, where would we end up?"

"Probably in a pretty bad place," Wes replied. "Guess it makes sense why my pa decided to run the Hunter's Academy in Moga. How long have you been hunting?"

"Since before you all were alive," the man laughed. "I'll tell you, it's been pretty amazing seeing all the changes that've gone on since I was your age. Most quests we used to take lasted almost a week on average because of travel length and such. Now, it takes barely a day."

"It must be kinda weird for you then, huh?" Sapphire commented.

"Like you wouldn't believe. But Wes, I'm curious, who is your father? You mentioned coming from Moga, and I've only seen armor of your make once before."

The dual blade user sighed at the mention of his father, but knew he shouldn't avoid the question. "His name's York. I'm guessing you know him?"

"You could say that. You don't seem particularly pleased about me bringing him up. Is something the matter?"

"No, it's not like I hate him or anything, I'm just starting to get a bit sick of him being brought up all the time," Wes answered.

"Why's that?" Sapphire asked curiously. "I mean, he's your dad, so shouldn't you be happy to hear more about him?"

"Not when all I hear is how great he was. Don't get me wrong, it was nice the first hundred times hearing it, but maybe I'd like to hear about how _I _do well. It's like I'm constantly living in his shadow; maybe I'd like to be the one in the limelight for once."

"Well, maybe this'll be your chance!" the blue-haired huntress encouraged. "I'll bet you'll become even better than he was!"

"Yeah, Wes, if you've got a goal, then you should work to achieve it!" Snow added. "I'm sure that we'll all get what we want if we try hard enough." Frost nodded towards the dual blade wielder in agreement.

"Well said, Snow," Jeremy said. "Wes, you shouldn't worry if people bring up your father's success. You should work hard enough so that it's you they talk about and praise."

"That's what I planned on doing, but thanks for the encouragement, guys. I appreciate it."

"_**Heads up down there, we're nearing the town of Hearth! Get ready for a quick landing!"**_

"Wait, we aren't getting dropped like normal?" the white-haired huntress asked.

"_**No, the weather's too poor for that. You'd get blown all over the place, and no one would find you again. Relax; you'll be on the ground soon enough." **_

Almost as soon as the pilot said this, the chamber seemed to lurch downwards, making everyone within feel weightless. Outside, the wind began to pick up more, filling the cabin with a droning noise.

"How can we relax when if we don't hold onto our seats we'll get thrown into the ceiling?!" Wes shouted over the wind. The others present followed suit and gripped their chairs tightly the whole way down. Before they landed, the ship slowed immensely, pressing everyone down as gravity suddenly intensified. After a brief impact shock, the hunters disembarked on shaky legs into the cold snowy area.

"I think I liked falling more…" Sapphire commented dizzily, and the others agreed in silence, their collective discomfort being enough to concur.

Wes shook his head a couple times to reorient himself before looking around the area. As far as the eye could see, snow fell in an endless flurry on the flat landscape. To the north, several mountains loomed around the Tundra hunting grounds, while the edge of the sea lay to their south. To the east was a small town, which Wes assumed was Hearth, and off to the west, nothing but snowy landscape could be seen. The dual blade wielder quickly chugged down a hot drink to fight off the cold before turning to the others.

"So, where do we go from here?" he asked. "Just head out towards the hunting grounds?"

"No, someone from the village was supposed to meet us and give us a location," Jeremy answered. "Let's head over and see what we can find."

"Uh, should we… just leave the ship here?" Snow asked uneasily. "How about Frost and I stay back and make sure the Zinogre doesn't show up?"

"If you want, then sure. We'll head back here to pick you up once we find out where we're going," Sapphire replied.

Wes, Jeremy, and Sapphire headed off towards the village, and made surprisingly quick time; the snow didn't seem to stick to the ground very well, leaving only a thin layer of the cold crystals on the ground. As they neared the town, someone ran out to meet them.

"Are you the hunters they sent?" the man asked quickly. "The town guard is on high alert. We haven't seen the Stygian Zinogre since the first time, but last we saw it was heading towards the hunting grounds."

"What about the ruins?" Wes asked. "Where are those at?"

"Same place as the Zinogre, I'm afraid. Here, the man who saw it marked the area on this map here. Keep an eye out for the Zinogre, though; the storm is getting pretty bad out there."

"Don't you worry about it! We'll take care of the problem as soon as we can!" Sapphire said confidently.

"It'd be a huge relief to the town," the man replied. "We haven't always had good luck out here, that's for sure…"

* * *

Trance sighed to himself as he took the elevator down to the basement floor of the Headquarters building. "Wonder why this Joshua guy didn't show up… Well, it shouldn't be too difficult to get a quick report together for Sir Balestra."

The elevator came to a slow stop, and the door opened to reveal a large white chamber. Several tables were lined up throughout the room, where numerous researchers worked on all manner of things, from mixing chemicals together to compiling research files. In a glass chamber off to the right, a few people were testing out some peculiar looking weapons: swords with rotating blades.

The officer took a moment to compose himself and stepped off the lift, making his way towards the back of the chamber. He had to sidestep around some of the researchers to avoid walking into them, and several others seemed to completely ignore him as they ran about the tables, shouting about some scientific achievement or another. A small blast off to the right prompted Trance to duck; hardly a second later, a scientist flew right over him and onto another table, his gloved hands smoking from the chemical blast.

Trance quickly made his way through the rest of the room until he finally came to a larger table in the back, behind which sat a man with spiky red hair, green eyes, and a squared jaw. He seemed to be hard at work writing data onto a notepad, writing lines faster than the officer had ever seen.

"Excuse me?" The man seemed to not hear him, continuing his work with a very focused expression. Trance sighed to himself and spoke up. "EXCUSE ME?"

The fiery-headed man blinked a few times as he looked up, as if he hadn't even noticed the officer's presence. "Yes? What do you need?"

"Are you Mr. Joshua?"

"Yes, Head of the Guild Science, Research, and Development Division. And you are?"

"My name is Trance. Sir Balestra sent me to get a report on your recent findings. You failed to meet with him the other day."

"Did I…? Oh, yes, I recall someone saying we had a meeting… Do send him my apologies. I've been quite consumed with my work as of late."

"I'll be certain to. Now, has there been any progress on the magma ruby research?"

"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to determine what they are made from. Any minerals we've compared them to haven't matched the composition. Whatever they are made from, it certainly isn't anything we've seen before. As for how old they are… we've determined that they are anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 years old. Some samples of the ruins they were recovered from reveal the construction to be from only about 2,000 years ago, so the gems are far older than their resting places."

"I see… Can you please talk a little slower? It isn't easy writing this all down…"

"Ah, my apologies... Have you caught up yet?"

"Yes, do continue."

"Anyways, the gems are much older than the peoples who laid them in the ruins. Something else that we discovered is that they seem to have some kind of connection to the Tanzia Lighthouse. The structure is ancient, having taken almost two millennia to complete, and as such there is a very close approximation between its completion and the other ruins'. A team of researchers I dispatched to the area reported that the glow within the gems seemed to intensify as they neared the tower, a phenomenon we are still investigating now."

"Lighthouse… Other ruins… Strange glow… Still investigating…" Trance struggled to jot down everything Joshua said, the scientist's rate of speech having not slowed down one bit. "…Okay, is that everything you've found out?"

"In regards to the rubies, yes. However, we've also uncovered some strange activities out in the west, past the desert."

"The hazard zone? What do you mean?"

"If you recall, that area was labeled as off limits after the Dragonator Incident. The blast completely destroyed the entire sandship fleet, irradiated the area in a five mile radius, and killed everything within, be it man, monster, or other."

"Guess that showed how effective a slime powered Dragonator would be…"

"Well, it was a mixture of both slime and dragon element that caused the blast and the toxicity within the area. As I was saying, the area was labeled as uninhabitable, and no further research on the area has been conducted as of late."

"So what's the issue then?" Trance asked, growing a little impatient with the long winded explanation.

"The issue, my friend, is that an unknown creature was spotted in the desert hunting region some time ago. It was spotted by a group of hunters on a Barroth hunt, apparently. Only two came back from the encounter alive, one of them missing an arm and a leg. Neither could identify the creature in any illustration they were shown, though they believed it to be of the brute wyvern family."

"Almost the entire team was wiped out…? Does the Guild know of this?"

"As of yet, they haven't decided what to do about the region or the monster, though there have been debates whether to close the grounds or to capture the beast for research."

"I see… I'll report this to Sir Balestra then…"

"If you deem it necessary, then feel free to. Now, I really must return to my work. Any second not spent working on this formula adds up to a minute a hunter may need to save their life. Though if you wish to assist me with something-"

"No, no, I really must get going," Trance said quickly, backing away nervously.

"A shame. If you ever find the time, I could use another pair of hands with some tests." The man quickly moved back to his notepad, scribbling down complex formulas and equations in the blink of an eye.

Having gathered all the info he could, Trance turned back to the elevator and left the science department, feeling more confused than ever.

* * *

"We almost there? We've been walking for a half hour now!" Wes said, growing irritated at the lack of action the hunters had come across. During the entirety of their trek across the frozen Tundra, a storm had brewed above, causing an even greater flurry of snow to begin falling, obscuring their vision and making the going harder –and colder- than any present would have liked. At least, Wes assumed as much; Frost still seemed to either be unaffected or not care about the adverse weather. The five were currently making their way across a large field that was mostly devoid of any notable features aside from the large mountains visible around them.

"Just a bit farther, don't worry. According to the map, the ruins should be down this ice valley here," Snow stated, pointing towards a large V-shaped canyon, formed from a large mountain eroding down the center. The group made their way to the large opening, coming to a stop just outside of the entrance.

"Can you see anything over there?" Sapphire asked, gazing down the path before them. "All I can see is white and… maybe some light blue…"

"Only one way to find out…" Wes said, taking the lead of the group and heading into the crevasse. The others followed suit, relieved that the high walls of the canyon blocked the harsh winds and slowed the snowfall to a mere few flakes. "Well, this is a lot nicer than being out in the freezing cold, huh?"

"Keep your eyes peeled," Jeremy warned. "We were lucky enough to get out of that mess, but we don't know if anything else is using this place to take cover from the storm either."

The group continued onwards down the path, scanning their surroundings for any signs of monsters. The high cliff walls had several jagged outcroppings several dozen meters above them that could act as platforms for creatures to use, but nothing could be seen atop them.

Eventually, the group made it to the end of the crevasse, coming to a stop before a large, frozen over, temple-like structure. A massive staircase led up to the main building, covered in a thin layer of ice. "I guess we found our place, huh?" Wes noted.

"I wouldn't bet against that," Snow commented. "So, should we all just head inside then?"

"Unless something happens that requires us to split up, we should stay together," Jeremy replied, starting towards the steps. A loud, wolf-like howl suddenly roared throughout the valley and stopped the man in his tracks. Immediately, the hunters placed a hand on their weapons and backed into a circle formation, facing outwards in all directions.

"You just had to say it," the dual blade user mumbled, his mismatched eyes darting about the area, scanning for the source of the roar. A slight buzzing sound suddenly filled the area, like a large amount of electricity charging up. Wes glanced up as the canyon suddenly grew darker, seeing the sky above had been blotted out by unnatural dark clouds. A few flashes of what seemed to be reddish-black lightning sparked in them, with each spark growing quicker and more frequent with every passing second. It only took a moment for Wes to realize what was about to happen. "Get out of the way!"

The others quickly glanced skywards before throwing themselves out of the way of the large bolt of dragon-lightning from above. The blast caused by the shockwave knocked every hunter away with a burst of wind and frozen shrapnel. Wes rolled back and slid to a stop, jamming his wrist blades into the cold earth to do so. Sapphire slid to a stop a few feet to his right, while Frost and Snow ended up opposite them, farther back the way they came. Jeremy recovered off to the side, his armor having absorbed the impact from being slammed into the icy wall.

Before any of them could act, a large monster with a red, black, and grey hide crashed into the ground between them, cracking the earth with its weight. The lupine monster stretched its long body, its powerful forelimb claws digging into the earth and melting the ice with the black lightning sparking around its body. Wes drew his dual swords as the Stygian Zinogre craned its neck upwards and let out a powerful roar. The entire canyon seemed to shake from the sheer strength of the Hell Wolf Wyvern's powerful lungs.

"This thing is way stronger than a normal one!" Snow called out, drawing her sword and holding her shield in front of her defensively. Frost quickly drew his long sword and leveled the Ivory Lagiacrus blade at the creature before them, keeping a solid stance that showed absolutely no fear. Jeremy likewise pulled his sword off his back, keeping position on the draconic wyvern's flank. Sapphire slowly got to her feet and shook her head as if to refocus herself, keeping her shield up as she did so.

The monster glanced around at the hunters surrounding it, letting out a slow rumbling growl that Wes thought sounded suspiciously like chuckling. Smaller bolts of the dark lightning started to rain down around the creature, kicking up bits of ice and rock with each one and causing the entire area to rumble.

"I know this Zinogre," Sapphire commented. "This is the same one we fought at the Volcano! How did it get to the Tundra so fast?"

"I don't know, but didn't you say you drove it away last time?" Wes asked.

"We didn't drive it off, it just… left. Like it was getting bored."

"Well, it doesn't exactly seem bored now!" More lightning began to rain down as the monster started charging itself up with the dragon element, blasting the ground dangerously close to the hunters and keeping them from getting near the beast. "Get ready!"

"Wes, Sapphire, leave this to us! Get inside the ruins!" Jeremy called out over the blasts of dragon element. "This isn't a safe place to be right now!"

"What?! I'm not going to pass a chance like this up! I'm fighting this thing!" the dual blade user replied, taking a step forward and raising his swords offensively.

"Wes, he's right! Look above us!" Sapphire pointed upwards to the top of the canyon, where several of the bolts were impacting the rock wall above, cracking the stone surface repeatedly. A particularly large bolt struck one of the jagged outcroppings above them, breaking it off the wall and sending it plummeting towards Wes and Sapphire. The hunters leapt back to evade the falling rocks, landing on the base of the stairs to the temple. More and more boulders began falling from above, forcing the hunters to keep moving to avoid being crushed.

"Sapphire, Wes, you need to get inside before the entrance gets blocked off!" Snow shouted to the pair. "We can't get there in time, and we can't afford to get stuck outside! Leave this to us for now!"

"But-!"

"Wes, she's right! Come on, we need to go!" Sapphire urged, sheathing her sword and pulling him by the arm towards the steps leading to the ruins.

A falling boulder cracked against the stairs, breaking a section of them off. Wes looked back to the large monster and up at the ruins again, conflicted with the choice of fight or flight. With a frustrated sigh, he sheathed his sword and ran up the steps to the temple, followed closely by Sapphire. Several more rocks began raining down from above, some landing on the stairs and forcing the hunters to leap over them and evade them. The two narrowly made it to the top before a large rock slammed into the top of the stairs, breaking them completely and ensuring they couldn't be followed after. Before entering the ruins, Wes turned towards the other hunters, who were making their way out of the canyon as fast as they could, pursued by the Stygian Zinogre.

"You guys better leave some of it for us!" he called to the others before heading into the ruins with the Lagombi armored huntress.

* * *

"Come on, we're almost there!" Snow urged, racing towards the exit of the canyon. Frost ran just behind her, with Jeremy bringing up the rear. "Look out, above us!" A medium sized boulder plummeted towards the group, which Frost stopped by blasting his sword out of its sheath and slicing the boulder in half. He grunted in pain as the shock from the maneuver reverberated throughout his arm, but he quickly sheathed his sword and followed after the others, racing to escape both the pursuing Fanged Beast and the rest of the falling boulders. He leapt out of the valley just before the last of the boulders crashed behind him, rolling to a stop by the other two hunters.

The three didn't have any time to catch their breath, though. Before any of them could react, the Stygian Zinogre burst through the rubble covering the entrance to the valley, leaping over their heads and sliding to a stop, turning to face them as it bared its sharp fangs.

"Guess there's no getting out of this one," Jeremy said, leveling his sword at the Hell Wolf Wyvern. Frost and Snow both readied their weapons as well in anticipation of a rough fight.

* * *

"I can't believe my luck! That was the perfect opportunity, and I had to run from it!"

"Wes, it's okay, really. I'm sure they can handle it; it's better that we finish the real objective while they deal with the Zinogre. It's not like we have to hunt everything, after all," the huntress said. "Besides, look around this place! I'm sure there has to be something in here!"

"Now that you mention it, this looks a lot like the other ruin I was in," Wes replied, noting how similar the architecture of this structure was to the previous. The layout was different though; instead of three paths, there was only a single tunnel for them to follow. The chamber was sizable as well, enough to make their voices and footsteps echo.

"This isn't one of those trap filled temples, is it?" Sapphire asked, checking the floor for any loose panels or wires. "I feel like it would make a lot of sense for this place to be filled with booby traps, y'know?"

"Why's that?"

"I dunno, I just think it'd be more adventurous!"

A faint sound from the tunnel ahead of them drew the pair's attention. Wes instinctively drew the blades from his back, recognizing the noise as a monster's roar. Sapphire followed suit, drawing her sword from her belt and standing next to him.

"I don't think there are any traps, but I think we might have a pack of Baggis for company," Wes commented, flipping his swords in his hands anxiously. Several of the small blue carnivores raced towards the hunters from the tunnel, barking and yipping excitedly as they sighted the pair. Wes didn't give them much of a chance to alert each other, though, quickly dashing towards the Baggis with both swords at the ready. "Might not be a Stygian Zinogre, but it'll have to do!"

The first Baggi he came to attempted to bite the dual blade user, but Wes easily sidestepped the monster's jaws and dealt two quick swipes to its neck before stabbing it through the head, punching its carcass to the ground for good measure. Wes turned swiftly, swinging both swords into a Baggi's torso and kicking it away.

"Come on, I'm just getting started!" he taunted, actually gaining the pack's collective attention. Sapphire was busy fighting off a few stragglers near the entrance, leaving the majority of the creatures to the dual blade wielder. Wes quickly went to work, swinging first one, then both swords into one of the small carnivore's neck and turning quickly, striking another across the face with the curved knuckle-guard of his sword. He dispatched the Baggi by driving both swords into its chest after dealing a quick swipe to its torso, rolling aside to avoid some tranquilizing fluid another shot at him from its gaping maw.

As he righted himself, Wes kicked the side of the carnivore's leg, snapping the thin bones within, and grabbed the monster around its neck, running the length of his blade across its throat. Two more of the creatures attacked him from either side, attempting to bite at the hunter's shoulders, but Wes easily knocked both aside with the flats of his blades, twirling around and stabbing each through the base of their skulls, killing both instantly. A final Baggi leapt towards Wes, which he quickly kicked to the ground, stabbed through the abdomen, finishing it off by crushing its head below his boot. The whole while, Wes was getting more and more into it, grinning wildly as each kill flowed to the next.

"This is what I'm talking about!" The remaining Baggis seemed to start slinking away from the hunter, growing fearful of him as they saw how many of their pack had fallen to his death-dealing attacks. A louder roar sounded from within the tunnel, and Wes glanced over quickly to see a large Great Baggi come stomping into the chamber, flanked by another pair of smaller Baggis. Wes grinned in anticipation, swiping the blood off of his blades and readying himself to fight the pack leader.

"Wes, you okay?" Sapphire asked, joining him with her sword drawn. "Looks like we've got the boss here too!"

"Yeah, but this is nothing!" he replied energetically, adrenaline pumping through his body. "Watch this!"

Wes charged at the pack leader, slicing the throat of another Baggi as he went, and leapt past the large creature's snapping jaws, dealing a quick slash to the side of its neck with his right sword. The Great Baggi's hide was much thicker than the smaller members of its pack, though, mitigating the damage the swing did. Wes quickly ducked below the Bird Wyvern's tail as it whipped past, slashing it twice across the thigh with an elaborate spin maneuver. He quickly leapt back again to avoid a second tail swipe, taking a quick second to exhale before charging at the roaring pack leader again.

As he neared, though, he noticed something: the Great Baggi had suddenly become _much _faster, snapping its jaws down towards him almost three times faster than it had last time. Wes barely avoided the monster's sharp teeth with a sideways roll, recovering quickly, but grunted in surprise as he saw the Great Baggi's tail whipped towards him. The blue appendage slammed into the hunter's chest and knocked him back across the chamber, the force from the impact actually sending him into a wall almost fifteen feet back and dropping him to one knee.

"Friggin' tails…" he muttered, shaking his head clear as he stood up. "Alright, you got me that time, but here comes round two!"

Wes again ran towards the monster, which had turned its attention to Sapphire, closing the gap between them as quickly as he could. The huntress had actually done an impressive job holding the beast back, deflecting its jaws with her shield and dealing a large diagonal cut across the side of its face with her blue short sword. The Great Baggi ran towards her after she leapt back to avoid another bite, but she evaded a third with a dexterous backflip, landing lightly on the cold stone floor and swiftly driving her sword into its side with a spin slash. The damage dealt by the attacks wasn't nearly enough to wear the beast down, however, and the blue-haired huntress quickly had to raise her buckler to block a powerful tail swing, sliding back from the force of the impact.

"Oww… This thing is tough!" Sapphire commented, shaking her shield arm to get the feeling back into it. "Wes, that tail is going to be our biggest problem!"

"Don't worry, I've already got an idea!" he replied, sliding beneath the pack leader and slashing its abdomen once. He righted himself and sheathed one of his swords, flipping open the pouch on his belt and pulling a rope dart out. He leapt the side to avoid a glob of tranquilizing fluid the Great Baggi spat at him, twirling the sharpened end of the dart around to build up some momentum. "Just need it to turn sideways…"

Before he could think of a way to flank the beast, he saw a bluish blur slam into the side of the Baggi's head from across the room. Sapphire had hurled her shield straight into the side of the Flying Wyvern's head, filling the chamber with the ring of metal impacting bone. The beast yelped in surprise and turned to face the huntress, giving Wes the opportunity he had been hoping for; the monster's side was facing him now. He rushed the Great Baggi, which was still dazed from Sapphire's buckler, sliding beneath the creature again and throwing the dart around its midsection. The rope coiled around once before the bladed tip drove itself into the pack leader's side, anchoring itself firmly to the beast. Holding the opposite end of the rope, Wes used his momentum and the pull from the rope to fling himself upwards, flipping onto the Great Baggi's back, driving his sword into the monster's neck.

The Great Baggi roared in surprise and started flailing in an attempt to fling the hunter off of its back, but the rope tied around its middle restricted its movement somewhat. The blade lodged into its neck further lessened its ability to twist and turn, so Wes opted to release the sword handle and drew one of his wrist blades instead, driving the sharp blade into the base of the Great Baggi's neck repeatedly, causing it to howl even more in pain. After a few moments, the monster's struggle lessened and it fell forwards, collapsing from the many injuries the hunters had inflicted. Wes pulled his sword free from its neck and approached the dying monster's head, still feeling the high of combat.

"Good night, sleepy head." The hunter drove the blade straight through the top of the pack leader's head, finally ending its life. He pulled the sword free after planting his foot on the carcass's head, the sharp tip of the blade having gotten stuck in the ground below. He slashed the sword once to fling the blood off before sheathing the sword on his back with a quick flip of the blade.

"Nice job, Wes!" Sapphire said, jogging over to him excitedly. "You were amazing! I haven't seen anyone pull off a stunt like that before! Do you do things like that all the time?"

"As often as I can, yeah," the dual blade user replied with a laugh. "If you're gonna hunt, why not do it in style?"

"Well, color me impressed!"

The pair carved a few materials from the pack leader's carcass, and Wes made sure to pull his rope dart free from the body, before they began to head down the tunnel it had appeared from. It was a relatively long cavern, but thankfully only a small amount of light was necessary to show the way, so they could see perfectly fine. Before they had been in the tunnel long, though, an intense rumbling started to shake the entire ruin.

"What the hell was that…? It seemed like it was coming from…"

"…Outside!" Wes and Sapphire glanced at each other quickly and nodded, knowing that they had to be quick, and started running down the tunnel into the unknown.

* * *

"…and that's everything I could find out, Sir," Trance finished. He had spent the better part of a half hour making sense of the random notes he was forced to scribble down to keep up with Joshua's fast talking, and only just finished relating the scientist's findings to the Corps Head. "Though I suggest we invest in some organizational training for the researchers. That place was a mad house."

"I see… I will look into it. Tell me again about this… connection the rubies have to Port Tanzia," Balestra said, folding his hands before his face and resting his elbows on his desk with an intrigued expression. Trance was almost shocked at the sight; this was the largest change in the man's face he had seen yet.

"Well, it isn't the port itself, but the lighthouse. Apparently the construction of the monument ended around the same time as the creation of the ruins the rubies are located in. According to what Mr. Joshua said, they seem to glow a bit brighter when they are nearby the structure, but he's still looking into the phenomenon."

"Very interesting indeed… Mr. Trance, is it not peculiar to see the link between things that are seemingly unrelated? The lighthouse has been a part of Tanzia since before its founding, yet the construction of the tower is still of the same era as the ruins. Not only that, but the ruins can be as much as hundreds of miles apart. Does that not raise the question of how such an ancient people could collaborate on a task so widespread?"

"I suppose it is strange…"

"This is exactly the reason why these ruins are being located. The secrets of the past are serving as the grounds for our improvements in the present." Balestra pushed himself up from his desk, placing his hat atop his head as he did. "Now then… I have a meeting with the Guildmaster and the city council. If there are any calls for me while I am away, do tell me when I return. Good day, Mr. Trance." The man immediately left his office, followed a moment after by the Corps officer.

"Sir, if I might ask one thing…"

"What is it?"

"What action do you plan on taking to deal with the unidentified monster?"

"I am going to see if the Guild will allow me to dispatch a team to capture it for research purposes. Whatever it is, there may be more of them, so we must arm ourselves with whatever knowledge we can. Now then, do you have any more questions? I do not wish to be late for this meeting."

"No, that's all, Sir."

* * *

Snow yelped as she raised her shield quickly, blocking a glowing dracophage bug the Stygian Zinogre had launched at her just in time. The impact sent her sliding back across the ice, but her white Barioth boots allowed her to keep her traction relatively well, and she recovered quickly. Frost raced past her and closed the gap between him and the Hell Wolf Wyvern, drawing his long sword and slashing its claw quickly, leaping to the side to avoid the monster's attempt to crush him below its paw. The force of the impact shook the earth and caused a shockwave of dragon element to burst out, knocking the masked hunter back across the frozen ground. Jeremy took advantage of the Zinogre focusing on the twins to attack its tail, bringing his bioluminescent sword down on the rigid plating guarding the appendage, but despite the glowing blade's impressive sharpness, it couldn't cut deeply into the plating. The beast retaliated almost immediately, swinging its tail into the man's chest and knocking him away.

"Frost, I'm going to set a pit trap! Keep me covered!" Snow called out, moving to the center of the area and pulling the small device out of her pouch.

Frost immediately put himself between her and the Stygian Zinogre, sheathing his sword and readying his hand at the quickdraw mechanism on the scabbard as it turned to face him. For a moment, the hunter and the monster stared each other down, as if waiting for the other to make a move. A slight clenching of the fanged beast's claws was the only tell Frost needed to know that the Zinogre intended to pounce towards him.

The Hell Wolf Wyvern pushed off with its powerful limbs, roaring as it leapt through the air at the hunter. The Barioth armor-clad man took a large hop backwards in response before activating the quickdraw, blasting the sword out of its scabbard with lightning speed. The electric blue long sword passed clean through a layer of the hard carapace guarding the Stygian Zinogre's arm, cracking the shell and actually knocking the beast aside with the force of the blow.

Frost immediately felt the negative effect of this maneuver, though, as an immense pain shot through his sword arm. The shock of the attack threw the blade from his grip as he reached the top of his swing, sending the blade spinning into the air above the field. The hunter grunted and grabbed his arm in pain, but recovered as quickly as he could, shaking the feeling back into his arm.

"It's all set! Jeremy, help me get it into the trap!" Frost glanced back and saw that his sister had indeed set the trap properly, and that the older hunter was moving to help the huntress lure the Zinogre into the net. He quickly turned back, seeing his blue long sword land tip first into the frozen earth some fifty feet away.

_I'm going to need that. _

The hunter immediately broke into a sprint towards his lost weapon as the beast leapt towards the other two hunters, viciously snarling as it brought its claw down towards Jeremy. The Jhen-clad hunter was able to sidestep the strike, but a bolt of dragon element lanced out and struck him in the chest, knocking him backwards with a pained grunt.

"Gah… Jhen materials are weak to dragon element…" he groaned, getting to his feet as several reddish-black sparks danced around his mail. He couldn't spend much time to recover, though, as the Hell Wolf Wyvern lunged at him again, trying to clamp its sharp fangs on the man's shoulder. He instinctively leapt back to avoid the monster, though the dragon element coursing through his armor slowed him down somewhat and he was struck by the monster's horns as it finished its lunge.

Snow quickly came to his aid, slamming her shield into the side of the Zinogre's jaw and slashing it across the torso with her Barioth short sword. The beast growled as the ice element within flash froze the wound, but the attack seemed to not cause it much more grief than that. The huntress quickly slashed the monster's chest twice more before throwing herself out of the way of the beast's stamping claws.

As she recovered, the Zinogre twisted itself around and flung itself into the air, swinging its tail in a wide circle around its center. Snow blocked the strike with her shield awkwardly, yelping as she was knocked onto her back from the blow. The Hell Wolf Wyvern landed just above her, opening its large maw and lunging towards the huntress, intending to gore her with its sharp fangs. Snow could only raise her arms in defense as the beast's gaping maw neared her…

* * *

"So, when did you decide you wanted to become a hunter, Wes?" Sapphire asked as they continued on through the tunnel.

"That was a little random. Why the sudden interest?"

"I just wanted to lighten the mood a little is all."

"I guess since I was maybe six or seven," he replied, glancing around at the walls around them as he watched for any potential hazards. "It got to the point where I actually nabbed a pair of my ma's cooking knives and went out hunting without telling my parents."

"Really?" the huntress said with a short laugh. "And how did that go?"

"Well, I managed to take down three Jaggi, an Alpha Aptonoth, half a dozen Altaroth, and a Kelbi before my pa found me. He never really let me live that down, for a while at least."

"Heheh, that's actually kinda cute, actually! I decided that I wanted to be a hunter when I was about ten. I just saw a bunch of them walking through my village once and thought 'I wanna be as strong as them some day!' And, well, here I am!"

"Guess you got what you wanted, huh?"

"I guess you could say that, but that doesn't mean I want to stop now that I'm in the Corps," Sapphire replied. "See, the more goals I reach, the more that pop up for me to accomplish. I know I can't obtain all of them, but I still want to do everything I can to reach as many as possible! After all, that's what makes life fun!"

"That's a good way of looking at it, I suppose," Wes replied, chuckling a little at the huntress's enthusiasm. Another rumbling noise sounded throughout the tunnel, causing some dirt to fall from the ceiling above them. "…But I don't have a good feeling about that rumbling…"

"It's been really random… Do you think it might be the Stygian Zinogre and the others?"

"Maybe… Let's get through this ruin and get back to them ASAP." The two quickly made their way further through the frozen tunnel, which fortunately didn't branch off into any other paths, though it did wind through the mountain somewhat. As they went deeper into the cave, though, they came across a large chasm in the path that spanned several meters across, below which was a large, frozen underground lake. "Damn… I don't see any handholds we can use to get across this, and I know I can't jump this gap…"

"I can if you give me a hand!" Sapphire offered. "I can see if there's anything around there for you to cross over on afterwards!"

"You're kidding, right? That's at least five meters! Even with my help you couldn't make that!"

"Just trust me, Wes, I got this," she replied, taking several steps back and getting ready to run towards him.

"Alright, fine, but don't say I didn't warn you," he agreed after a moment and a sigh.

He took a somewhat wide stance and put his hands together to act as a small platform for the huntress. Sapphire sprinted towards him, seeing that he was prepared, and took a short hop onto his waiting hands. Wes put as much strength as he could into throwing her across the pit, helped by her pushing off with her foot as he did. The hunter stared in disbelief as he witnessed the Lagombi-clad woman cross the entire pit and roll to a stop on the other side, with more than a few feet to spare.

"See? Told ya I could do it!" she teased, sticking her tongue out at him from across the chasm.

"Alright, very funny," he replied, though the huntress' maneuver had thoroughly impressed him. "See if there's something on that side I could use to-" Before Wes could finish his sentence, the ground below him seemed to shift, cutting him off. He glanced down, then back, seeing the stone floor beginning to crack and break below him. Before he could act, the platform separated from the rest of the tunnel, and with a surprised grunt the hunter found himself dropping into the frozen lake below. The stone platform crashed into the icy surface of the water, shattering the thick ice from the weight of it. Wes leapt off the platform at the last second, landing on a large sheet of ice.

"Wes! Are you okay?!" Sapphire called down to him worriedly.

"Yeah, never better!" he replied, though not without a heavy dose of sarcasm. While he had managed to evade the freezing water, the sheet of ice had broken in numerous places, and didn't offer a very stable surface for him to walk on. Looking around, he could see that there was another shorter gap in the tunnel ahead of Sapphire, with several wooden posts jutting out from the stone construction. "Saph, move down the tunnel! I'll need a hand getting out of this!"

The huntress glanced back in the direction he pointed out and nodded quickly. "Okay, gimme one sec! I'll be there!"

The ice had begun cracking more beneath Wes' weight, forcing him to start moving to avoid falling through to the cold water below. Each step ran the risk of breaking through, but standing still wouldn't do him any good at all. The hunter leapt between two ice floes as he made his way towards his ticket out of the freezing lake, sliding to a stop as he landed on the slick sheet. Seeing that the wooden posts were only about ten feet above his head, the hunter quickly pulled a rope dart from his pouch and flung the metal tipped end upwards toward the wooden shafts. The rope spun around one of the posts twice before embedding itself into the wood.

Wes wasted no time in beginning to climb up the rope, being sure not to move too fast and snap the old wood post he was dangling from. As he neared the ledge, though, he could hear the wood straining more and more from his weight. A slight crack sounded from the post, and Wes made one last hard pull and flung himself upwards just as the wood gave way, catching the stone ledge with one hand. The post, with the attached rope dart, fell into the icy water below and sank out of sight. Despite how good his grip was, though, the hunter found his fingers slipping from the cold stones.

"Sapphire, I could use that hand right about now!"

"I've gotcha! Gimme your hand!" the huntress replied, extending a gloved hand for him to take. He swung his free arm up and took hold of Sapphire's wrist as she did the same, pulling him up with all her strength. Wes sighed in relief as he finally made it over the ledge and onto stable ground.

"Hot damn, that was a bit too close for comfort," he remarked. "Thanks for the help there, Saph."

"Don't mention it! Oh, and I saw something up ahead when I jumped the second gap. I think we might be close to the end of the ruin."

"Alright, let's hurry up and find whatever we need to find. The others could probably use some help."

The two walked the remaining length of the hall and into the final chamber, making sure to watch out for any loose ground below them. Upon entering, Wes could immediately tell that this chamber was near identical to the last ruin where he had found the magma ruby. A short staircase led up to an altar at the center of the room.

"Saph, take a look around for anything we could take with us. I'll check the altar."

"Will do," she replied, walking over to the other end of the chamber. Wes, meanwhile, took the short staircase up to the altar, expecting to find one of the glowing red orbs there. To his shock, though, there was nothing there.

"What the hell…? Where is it?" he muttered, checking around the altar and scanning the room from the higher viewpoint. "Saph, do you see a glowing red stone anywhere?"

"No, I haven't seen anything!" the huntress answered, clearly puzzled. "The only thing down here is this crack in the wall… I think it leads to a cave. Maybe we can use it to get out?"

"Maybe… Dammit, could someone have gotten in here already? There isn't a single thing in here!"

"Do you want to look around a little longer? There still might be something we could fi-" A loud rumble sounded throughout the ruin and cut off the rest of her sentence, actually shaking the entirety of the chamber. It lasted for a few seconds, after which the two uneasily glanced at each other.

"That sounded way worse than the other ones… We need to get out now. We can't go back the way we came from though…"

"Here, through this hole!" Sapphire called out, gesturing towards the small crack in the chamber. The short sword wielding huntress quickly ducked low and crawled out of sight. Wes followed suit, seeing that the tunnel they had entered from was beginning to flood from a large crack in the ceiling. He took one last glance around the chamber before crawling out of the hole as fast as he could, exiting into a dark cave. Wes and Sapphire both got to their feet quickly, trying to put more distance between themselves and the flooding ruin.

"I still can't believe that the place was empty…" Wes sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "The objective was to find something, but there was nothing to find!"

"Let's worry about that later, Wes," Sapphire said, though he could tell she was just as disappointed as he was. "Hey, I think this cave leads to the field where the others are! See, that's the Zinogre!" she pointed out, gesturing towards the large exit to the cave. Sure enough, the other hunters were outside, still engaged with the beast.

"Well, I guess it's time to save the day, huh?" the dual sword user replied, grinning excitedly. He quickly made his way towards the field, followed closely by Sapphire.

* * *

For a moment, Snow didn't feel a thing, holding her shield up in a futile attempt to block the Hell Wolf Wyvern's nearing fangs. However, they never came. Though her shield blocked her view of the beast, she could still hear a pained grunt and a ferocious snarl from the Fanged Beast. The huntress quickly lowered her shield to see that Frost had quickly stepped between her and the Stygian Zinogre, catching both its jaw and the roof of its mouth with his bare hands and was holding it back with pure strength.

"Frost!" The long sword user grunted as the beast shook its head in an attempt to throw him away, but the masked hunter was able to stand his ground, keeping the monster's jaws from snapping down on him.

Despite the intense pain in his right arm, Frost was able to eventually push the creature back, actually causing it to stumble in surprise as he shoved it backwards and into the awaiting pitfall trap. Jeremy quickly took advantage of the Hell Wolf Wyvern's trapped state to slash it across the side, cutting into its greyish-white fur with a burst of lightning element. He dealt two more swift blows before the creature freed itself from the hole in the ground, snarling as it leapt away and landed on its powerful legs.

"Blast... That trap barely worked at all!" the hunter said disbelievingly. "Just how much stamina does this thing have?"

The beast craned its neck upwards and let out a loud howl that echoed for miles around, summoning up dark clouds above itself and dropping dragon element lightning down across the entire field. Frost quickly helped Snow to her feet, though the twins had to separate a moment later to avoid a bolt of dragon lightning. The huntress brought her shield up in time to absorb the shock while Frost leapt away, drawing his sword as he rolled to a stop. He glanced over to his sister, seeing her make an 'X' symbol with her fingers, and nodded in acceptance of her plan.

The two ran diagonally towards the Hell Wolf Wyvern, closing the distance quickly. The beast roared at them and attempted to crush both below one of its paws as they crossed paths, but the twins evaded the attack easily, flanking both of the Fanged Beast's sides. The creature seemed confused, glancing between its paw and the two similarly outfitted hunters. Both took the chance to deal several slashes to its sides, stopping only when the Zinogre leapt away from them with an agile backflip. Jeremy, who had been moving to attack its tail, yelped in surprise as the beast's lash slammed into the ground next to him.

"Dammit… Even one hit could spell death for us!" the older hunter said, hopping away from the Fanged Beast to regroup with the twins. "We might need to get away and regroup with the others if we're going to have a chance to take it down."

"But we don't even know where they are!" Snow replied quickly. "We can't get into the ruins with them now, and we don't know if they can get out on their own!"

"We don't have much of a choice now! It's wounded enough that if we leave it be, it'll probably go off to recover and leave the town alone. We need to find Wes and Sapphire and call the airship; they've had enough time to get through it by now."

"So where do we start looking? We don't have any clue where they might end up!"

"One thing at a time, Snow. Here, take the signal flare. Call the ship as soon as you ca- watch out!" The hunters all leapt in different directions to avoid the Hell Wolf Wyvern's attempt to crush them below its bulk. The beast immediately swung its tail and flung itself into the air again, wreathed in dragon element. Frost quickly grabbed Snow by the shoulder and pulled her out of the way of the attack while Jeremy rolled away, sliding to a stop on the ice. "Blast, I don't even know how we'll get away from this thing…"

As he recovered, though, a quick blur of movement rushed past him and charged straight at the Zinogre, brandishing a pair of dual swords. The figure dealt several slashes to the beast's side before leaping over its back, slashing it once more as he did so. "Hey, did you miss me?!" Wes shouted, rolling to a stop and brandishing his swords. The Fanged Beast turned its attention to the newly arrived hunter, snarling viciously at the hooded man before it.

"Wes! Sapphire!" Snow called out, relieved to see the arrival of the dual blade wielder and the other huntress. "Be careful, this thing is way more dangerous than a normal Stygian Zinogre!"

"Relax; it's me!" Wes replied confidently, again rushing the beast. Jeremy got to his feet and followed suit, while Sapphire regrouped with the others.

"Frost, Snow, are you both okay?" the blue-haired huntress asked quickly, huffing a little in exhaustion.

"We could be doing better, but it's good that you two showed up when you did," Snow answered. "How were the ruins? Find anything inside?"

"No… They were completely empty… We had to get out when they started to flood from an underground lake. That Zinogre was causing quakes underground!"

"That… really doesn't surprise me, actually… Let's call the ship and get it to come pick us up; we don't need to worry about this thing anymore."

"Are you sure? I mean, we don't have to, but shouldn't we try to finish it off?"

"Every second we spend fighting it is another second one of us could get killed! We've had enough close calls already. Make sure those two know the plan, alright?" Snow opened her pouch and pulled the signal flare out, pointing it skyward and launching the glowing projectile into the air. Sapphire quickly ran over to the other two hunters, who were still fighting with the Hell Wolf Wyvern. Wes evaded one of its paw stomps with a sideways cartwheel, dexterously slashing its arm at the same time. The hunter slid to a stop next to the blue haired short sword wielder.

"Oh, hey. Enjoying the show?" he asked, getting to his feet. "I think I can finish it off, but I'll need a while."

"Snow already called the ship; we're pulling out, Wes," the huntress replied quickly.

"What? Why?! We can take this thing!"

"Wes, they spent the whole time fighting with it and they still couldn't bring it down! We're falling back, okay? And unless you feel like staying out in the middle of the Tundra fighting this thing, you're coming with us!"

"…Bah, fine…" he reluctantly agreed. _Getting stranded isn't worth the fight._ "Jeremy and I will keep it busy while the ship lands. Holler when it's time to go."

The dual blade wielder quickly rushed back to assist the older hunter, and Sapphire looked back to see the airship fast approaching their location, though it seemed the pilot was extremely nervous about flying that close to the Zinogre. She quickly ran over to where the ship landed, accompanied by the twins. The pilot looked none too happy when they boarded the ship.

"What the hell were you thinking having me land right next to the damn thing?!"

"We need to get out of here, now!" Snow replied quickly. "Just get ready to take off!"

"Wes! Jeremy! Come on, we're going!" Sapphire called to the hunters from the deck of the airship. The two had just leapt back away from the Hell Wolf Wyvern, which was beginning to call down even more of the dragon element lightning around itself, with several bolts landing dangerously close to the ship and the pair of hunters fighting the Fanged Beast. The pilot panicked a little, seeing how close the bolt had come to the airship, and quickly went back to the cabin to prepare for take-off.

Wes and Jeremy, meanwhile, were beginning to make their way across the ice field, dodging the red flashes of dragon element that rained down from above. Wes, having lighter armor, easily moved ahead of the older hunter, sprinting towards the ship as it began to lift off.

"What the hell?! Hold up!" he shouted, nearing the ascending ship. He quickly leapt up and grabbed the edge of the deck as it lifted off higher from the ground. Jeremy had just caught up to Wes by then, and the hooded hunter extended a hand to help the older hunter up. The man jumped up as high as he could, his hand nearing Wes'…

But he fell just short.

The Jhen clad hunter's fingers barely grazed Wes', and he fell back down to the icy ground below as the ship took off higher, too far to reach for the older hunter. Wes could only watch in horror as the ship flew off, leaving the older hunter behind to face the creature alone. Another hand grabbed his own, and with a strong pull Wes found himself safely on the deck of the airship, courtesy of Frost. The man immediately clutched his right arm as if in pain, but seemed to shake it off quickly enough.

"What the hell?! We've gotta go back for him!" Wes protested, making his way below the deck of the ship where the others were waiting.

"_**No can do, kid. That thing's dragon lightning just started to pick up, and there is no way I'm flying nearby those bolts again. Dragon element could easily wreck our motors and send us crashing to the ground! Sorry, but in this case four lives is better than five."**_

"This isn't right though! We all should've made it out of this! We can't just leave him behind!"

"Wes… There's nothing more you can do," Snow said somewhat firmly. "It was his idea to call down the airship… He knew the risks. Maybe he'll make it out okay, but… you just have to let it go."

Wes wordlessly glared out the window, seeing a giant flash of dragon lightning fall to the earth in the field they had all been in just minutes before.

_…This just isn't right…_

* * *

Jeremy cursed under his breath, seeing the airship fly off into the sky without him. The loud stomping of the Zinogre behind him caused him to spin around quickly and draw his sword, glaring at the Fanged Beast as it slowly sauntered towards him, red lightning dropping from the sky around them. He tightened his grip on the glowing blade, knowing there was no way out of this fight now.

"Well, alright then. Show me what you've got."

* * *

**_Author Notes: _**_I won't lie, this chapter is probably the one I am most proud of yet. First off, I broke my previous record in word count! Hoorah for breaking the 12,000 mark! I'm rather pleased with how everything came together here too, especially the Stygian fight. I based it mostly on the Descent into Hades DLC quest, which is known as one of the most difficult in MH3U. As for outside sources... due to the lack of beind able to fnd a better name for the town in the Tundra, I borrowed the name 'Hearth' from dashboardgecko, though it isn't supposed the same town as it was in his story. Jeremy was also a welcome OC, considering I could actually help FatalisSlayer101's future story by including him here. That being said, later on down the line I'll have potential spots for three additional character submissions! If you're interested, PM me a name and a brief description of the character; if I don't get enough submissions, I'll have to make more characters to fill the spaces myself, and my name bank is running a little dry... Alright, as always, remember to leave a review of what you thought, and I'll see you next time!_

**_Playing: _**_MH3U, Dead Rising 3, Battlefield 4, Minecraft _

**_Listening to: _**_Papa Roach, Paramore, Avenged Sevenfold_

**_Watching:_**_ Whatever appeals to me at the moment_

**_Reading:_**_The Lost Civilization: DLC by dashboardgecko, various TV Tropes pages_


	7. Chapter 7

The Master Corps

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated._**

**Edited by: dashboardgecko**

* * *

Chapter 7- Refresher

"…I see… This is very unfortunate news. We will inform his pupils, and his equipment will be distributed among them."

"Sir, the team also reported that the ruins were devoid of any findings. Overall, the mission was a wasted effort. What should we report to the Guild?"

"If word of a failure such as this were to reach the higher parts of the Guild, we would be in a very… troubling position. If a report must be sent in, make a few altercations to the original. Say that the artifacts were damaged upon recovery, and that Mr. Jeremy stayed behind to ensure the remainder of the team's extraction. Understood?"

"S… Sir, is it okay to circumvent the rules like this?"

"Mr. Trance, as you are still new to the Corps' Information Processing Division, let me instruct you in one aspect of your work. Your job is to report our missions and findings to the Hunter's Guild in a manner that reflects our effectiveness in the field. What do you believe the hierarchy of the Guild would say if they discovered a team made up of some of the finest hunters in the Corps reported a complete mission failure, and that the runs were empty, and that only the Guild-assigned member was left behind to lose his life? They would assume it was a deliberate act to remove one of their assets in the Corps, and they would grow more suspicious of us. We do not need any 'incidents' this soon."

"I see your point, Sir, though I must speak my opinion when I say-"

"If and when I ask for your opinion, Mr. Trance, then you may gladly give it. However, as it is now, there is no need for it. Just do as I ask, or I will find a replacement for you. I will not tolerate a lack of diligence from any of my subordinates. Am I clear, _Mr. Trance?"_

"Y-yes, Sir… I'll get to it right away."

* * *

Wes sighed as he looked up at the ceiling above his bed, resting with his hands behind his head. It had been a full three days since the mission in the Tundra, and the only word that had returned from the area was that Jeremy had eventually fallen to the Stygian Zinogre, though not before injuring it enough to force it into hiding after the battle. The entire incident had left a little more than a sour taste in the hunter's mouth.

_I still can't believe he didn't make it… If the ship had slowed down just a little more, if he had just been a little faster… He was literally inches away from my hand! It just isn't fair… Sure, I might not want to hunt on a team all the time, but I never left a man to die before… Was it my fault somehow?_

A knock on the door gained his attention, and Wes pushed himself up to answer it.

"Hey, bud, you holding up alright?" Viper asked, turning towards the door from the center of the hall. "I heard what happened about that Jeremy guy. Don't take it too hard, alright?"

"Yeah, but still… I just think I should've been able to do more…"

"Wes, listen, Snow told me what all went down out there. Trust me, based on what she told me yesterday, you did more than enough."

"Doesn't mean that Jeremy isn't dead."

"And it doesn't mean it's anyone's fault. Shit happens. At least the rest of you all made it out mostly unharmed, right?"

"Well… I guess. What did Snow say about Frost's arm? She seemed really concerned when we got back."

"He used that quickdraw thing a bit too much, and he tore his bicep throwing the Zinogre back. Connor's been working on him for the past few days now, and he said not to worry too much. I mean, Connor said not to worry. Frost said… well, you know."

"I didn't really have anything to do with Frost and Snow's fight. Not like I could've stopped that chain of events."

"Exactly! There are things we can't stop, so why worry if there's nothing we could do? Come on, bud, just 'cause things screw up every now and then doesn't mean you have to get all angsty about it."

"You got a point there, Viper," Wes said with a short chuckle. Despite the archer lightening his mood, though, Wes still felt guilty about what had happened. _Maybe I just need to do something to get my mind off of it..._

"Listen, I need to go on a supply run. I didn't really bring much from Moga with me, so some potions and whetstones would be helpful. Want to come along?"

"Yeah, sure thing!" the archer replied with a smirk. "I need some coatings for my bow anyways. Hopefully his lordship won't call for us again, eh?"

"Hey, if you guys are making a supply run, do you mind if I come along?" Wes and Viper turned, hearing the door opposite Wes' close, where Sapphire stood wearing ordinary street clothing. "I could use a few things myself!"

"Oh, hey Saph. I don't mind if you want to come along," Wes replied, greeting the blue-haired huntress. "Viper?"

"As long as she doesn't try to screw with my pouch set-up like Emerald did yesterday, I'm cool with it."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that, Viper," Sapphire replied with a short laugh. "So, do you guys know a good place for supplies?"

"Yeah, I know a place," Viper answered. "Come on, let's go!"

* * *

"And… there you are. Try not to move your arm very much for a few days, and it will be just fine," Connor assured, finishing up on wrapping Frost's arm with fresh bandages.

When the long sword user had stepped off of the airship the day before, most of his arm was discolored and bleeding in several places, so Snow had insisted on rushing him to the medical ward. Connor had been on duty then, and had made sure to keep the long sword user overnight for treatment.

"Thank you for healing him, Doctor Connor," the huntress said with a grateful bow. "If there's a payment involved, we don't mind-"

"That will not be necessary. All Master Corps members are treated free of charge here," the doctor replied. "I will send in a report to Sir Balestra that you are not to partake in any assignments for the next week. You are not stuck in bed, however, so you may still go about your ordinary business. Now then, there are a few others here I must check up on. You are free to go when you choose."

Connor departed the room then, shutting the door as he went. Frost had already begun to push himself up, going to the table his armor had been laid out on.

"Frost, wait," Snow said, grabbing his good arm to stop him. "Are you sure you're ready to go this soon? Your arm is-"

"It's been worse." Frost's reply was short, though his voice was cool and smooth as ice. He turned to face his sister, looking down on her because of their immense height difference. "I'm fine, Snow."

The huntress reluctantly released her grip, and Frost immediately went to the table to begin suiting up again. Snow had made sure to at least get the suit cleaned first, so there were no remnants of the long sword wielder's injury left on the white longcoat.

"Well, what should we do now?" Snow asked as Frost strapped his greaves on. "I don't think anyone knows about us, so we should still be safe… But do you think there's anyone we can trust?"

"Not yet." Frost continued on to his arms, pulling the white Barioth plating over his sleeves and strapping them down, flinching a little in discomfort as a jolt of pain shot up from his right arm.

"So… wait and see?"

Frost lingered a moment over his helmet, the last piece of armor he had to put on. The moment of hesitation soon vanished, and he lifted the white plated helm and pulled it over his head, obscuring his face behind its fearsome visage.

"Wait and see."

* * *

"…now, this is a mission of a very sensitive variety. You are not to speak of this to any others after completion, am I clear?"

"Yes sir," a chorus of four voices replied.

"Then you are all dismissed. Good day to you all."

Balestra watched as the team of four hunters quickly departed for their job, leaving him alone in his office. The crimson-eyed man then returned to his desk, signing his name on the mission log to approve the job he had sent them on. His gaze shifted from the document to an open dossier to his left, which he placed before himself to continue reading. He didn't look up as he heard a rapping on his door, simply letting out a short sigh. "Enter."

The door opened quickly, and Ruby stepped through into his office, slamming it behind her. "So, you're sending another group off on a 'secret mission', hmm?" The red-haired huntress approached the Corps Head's desk directly, planting both of her hands on the edge of the wood table. "I'm guessing this is all quite fun for you, isn't it?"

"Ruby… Need you interrupt my work so abruptly?"

"Do I, _Sir?_"

"I can see there is something distressing you."

"Distress is a word for it."

"Must you remain so difficult?"

"I want a job. Not some run of the mill assignment, but an important one, with my team. I'm sick of being paired with all these know-nothings who can't work on a proper team."

"I recall giving you two rather important assignments in this past week alone, though your own performance in them was… lacking, considering your involvement in the first was minimal at best and you likewise ducked out in the second to treat Mr. Ishmael's injury, something he should've been perfectly able to do himself." The man closed the file and looked up at the huntress, folding his hands before his lower face and obscuring his mouth from the woman's view. "Why should I potentially create a team unfit for a specific assignment just to grant your wish?"

"I won't fail," she replied simply. "We won't fail. You give me what I want, and I'll give you results beyond anything you've seen yet."

"Words without actions are just that: words. Though you say you will provide results, factors within the assignment can easily ruin your predictions. If I send a non-optimal squad for an important assignment, only to be met with failure, it could severely impact the Master Corps' standing in Loc Lac. Do you wish to bring ruin to your teammates and the Corps just for your own desire?"

Ruby took a long time to respond, clearly thinking much more about her request. "…Alright, then here's a compromise for you. You look for an assignment that me and my team would be the best choice for, and you send us on it as soon as possible."

"And why should I accept your proposal, _Ms. Ruby_?"

"You owe me at least that much, _father."_

Balestra's eyes narrowed at the huntress' statement, and he pushed himself up into a more straight and professional position. "Despite what you believe, I will not provide you with any special privileges. You and those you work with are all on equal footing, and must work up to greater positions. Perhaps once I've seen more… positive results from you, then I will consider your request further."

"Equal footing? And does that include your 'golden boy', Wes? I heard about how you paraded him through the city to show him off to the Guild master. It seems you've been giving him all the praise lately! What about the other hunters, huh? What about me?"

"So, you feel that giving credit where it's due is unfair to yourself now?"

"When all the credit is given to one person, how can a group be unified and work together?"

"While I understand why you may feel frustrated, do try to see this from my angle. We are currently less than a week into our work, and young Mr. Wes has proven himself to be a very capable individual that can bolster almost any team's chance of success; a catalyst, if you will, despite his tendency to rush things and do all the work himself. I've seen this in both his file and the results he has returned with.

"Meanwhile, though you and the team I had brought together for you has certainly proven itself as a considerable force with undeniable talent, recently you and your teammates have been lacking in the assignments they've been sent on. Apart from Ms. Sapphire, you all have reported difficulties in trusting teammates and complications in dynamics with others. In short, you lack the flexibility to excel with others.

"There are many other hunters aside from just you and Mr. Wes as well. Many of them have proven themselves, while others have failed to live up to their reputations. For instance, a team of hunters who were largely unknown outside of their villages returned two days ago from a hunt, reporting they had slain an exceedingly large Rust Duramboros that was menacing the desert town of Brownstone. That was the second team I had to send in, considering the first I assigned made up of local 'heroes' returned with several broken bones, a missing limb, and complete failure.

"In the end, what matters is that a team delivers results. Mr. Wes' assignments have not all been successes, just as how yours have not been failures. Do not blind yourself with the illusion that I am solely giving assignments based on favoritism."

Ruby was silent for a good long while, slowly mulling over the man's words in her head. "…Okay, fine. You're right. But that doesn't mean I don't want the chance to prove that my team can complete any assignment you give us."

"…Very well then. I see you are still very tenacious about this topic… I will grant your request once the opportunity arises, but do not think I will be so lenient in the future, Ruby."

"I won't disappoint you." The red-haired huntress bowed slightly, looking at her father with her own crimson eyes. Satisfied with what she had been able to compromise, Ruby turned and began to make her way back to the door.

"Ruby." The huntress turned quickly, seeing that the Corps Head had risen from his desk and set his hat down atop a stack of papers. "I trust you won't."

"…Thank you, Sir."

* * *

"Come on, the store's just around this corner here!" Viper said, leading the other two hunters down a somewhat empty street.

They were well within the older part of Loc Lac, where most of the buildings were built in the more traditional style that had been replaced some twenty years prior. Most of the walled city had modernized rather quickly, using more streamlined building designs and smoother stones for the ground. Here, though, the buildings were more rugged, and the roads were made from bumpy cobblestone.

"Viper, what kind of shop around here could have the stuff we're looking for?" Wes asked, looking around at the old city. "I feel like I'm two decades younger here, and that would mean I shouldn't be alive!"

"Just trust me, bud. I found this place a couple days ago. They have everything we'll need, old and new." Viper seemed sure of himself, so Wes decided to let the golden-eyed archer keep leading him and Sapphire towards the store.

"I kinda like the architecture around here," the blue-haired huntress remarked. "I've never really been to the old city before today, but I like how adventurous it all seems! Just imagine being one of the older hunters in these parts, wearing a classic armor set and using a traditional weapon! This is where hunting was born!"

"Was that a compliment about the architecture, or a history lesson?" Viper joked, laughing as the trio rounded a corner onto a side street. "Personally, looking at these old buildings reminds me of the cliffs I used to climb back in the Flooded Forest," he said, tapping the rugged wall to his right. "My village is still pretty traditional, but they eventually got with the times. Didn't get half the luxuries we have here back there, I'll tell ya that much."

"Sounds like a _very _fun place," Wes said with a wry smirk. "To be honest, I'm more intrigued by the way weapons and equipment developed from back then to the way they are now. Like, how instead of carrying twenty whetstones that can only be used once, now you can carry one that you use twenty times. It seems simple, but why didn't they think of it sooner?"

"In any case, it's pretty cool how things are now. But look! We're here!"

Viper pointed to an old shop before them. It was a relatively large, single story building with a crooked sign hanging above the door, but the lettering was so faded Wes could hardly tell what it said. From what they could see outside, the store had all manner of hunting equipment arranged on tables or assorted in barrels and crates.

"Geez, this looks really… outdated…" Wes remarked, glancing up at the sign. "You sure they'll have stuff we can use?"

"I'm positive! Come on, let's go in!" The archer stepped inside, leaving Wes and Sapphire on the street. The pair glanced at each other and shrugged before following after the golden-eyed hunter.

"Vehlcahm to my stohre," a large man with a thick accent said, seeing the three enter. He stood up from behind the counter he was seated at, leaving Wes dumbstruck as the man's head grazed the ceiling. He must've been almost seven feet tall, and the man's imposing, muscular figure only added to his immense presence. He seemed relatively old, but his frame alone easily made clear that anyone who got caught trying to steal from him would be in for a world of hurt. One of his eyebrows lifted as he brought his gaze to Viper.

"Ah, I see you hahve brought youhr friehnds lihke you said!"

"Yeah, they weren't really convinced when I said this place had everything we could get though. Mind proving them wrong, Jorge?"

"Vahl, I vould, baht I cahn't fit into ehvery noohk ahnd crahnny here, soh I geht my ahpprentice to halp insteahd. Adriahn!"

"I'll be right there!" A voice called out from the back of the store. It seemed familiar to Wes, though he couldn't recall where he had heard it before. "I'm still trying to open up this order of tranquilizers, and I don't want to knock myself out!"

"Fohrgive heem, I ohnly hired the mahn ah few dahys agho," the shopkeeper, Jorge, said. "Feehl free to loohk arouhnd aht my vares vhile you vait."

Glancing around the old shop, Wes could see that there was both old and new equipment for sale, separated into halves of the room. "Why do you have so much of this old cra- uh, antiques for sale? This stuff isn't really the standard nowadays," the dual blade wielder remarked, lifting up an old pickaxe from a barrel.

"There ahre mahny hahnters who prefer the ohld vahys of hahnting, ahnd who vish to keep tha trahditions ahlihve. Those tings ahre mahde vith mahdern mahteriahls, but verk tha sahme as tha ohld ones."

"I guess this is what we'd call a blast from the past," Sapphire commented, scanning through the old wares as well. "Wow, these pitfall traps still use Saturnians to dig out the ground! This is like almost like a museum!"

"Sorry about that, the box had a few too many nails in it," a thin man with dirty blond hair and brown eyes said, stepping out from the back of the store. "What do you need, Mr. Jorge?"

"Halp these hahnters fihnd vaht they ahre looking fohr. You know tha lahyout behttar than I do sihnce you reahrranged tings tha othar dahy."

"Will do! What can I help you all find?"

"I know where the coatings are, so just help my friends here," Viper replied, walking over to the far wall where numerous vials were stacked up neatly.

"Ah, I remember seeing him here a couple days ago… So, what are you two looking for? Potions, whetstones, charms? Or... something special for the two of you, perhaps?"

"What…? Wait, no, we aren't-!"

"We're just friends," Wes said quickly, chuckling a little as Sapphire's face went beet red in embarrassment. "…But I feel like I know you from somewhere. Have we met?"

"Hah, I was wondering if you'd recognize me! It's me, Adrian! Sorry about having nabbed your wallet that day."

"Don't worry about that. You look like a completely different person! How did you get all the way here in less than a week?" the dual sword user asked.

"Well, while I had a string of misfortune which led to the predicament I was in when I swiped your money- again, my apologies-, a few hours after we met I came unto some good luck when I met Jorge. I took my kids to a nice place to eat with some of the money you gave me and I saw him at the restaurant complaining about a lack of customers to his shop. I offered to help him turn things around, and he decided to give me a shot!"

"Really? What did you have to do for that?"

"I offered to set up advertisements and pull things together around here for a modest starting fee. The big guy couldn't say no."

"Wow, that's awfully lucky of you!" Sapphire said. "Have there been very many customers here?"

"A few of the regular veterans still stop by daily to get some goods, but I've always had a bit of a knack for advertising. I put some notices out in the northern districts to get more attention to the store, and I cracked open some of the more modern equipment Jorge had stored in the back to appeal more to the younger crowd. After that, I went about cleaning the place up and rearranging everything into halves: new on the left, old on the right."

"Geez, you did all of that in... how many days?" Wes asked in astonishment.

"Just three. When you lived the way I did for a number of years, you tend to do everything you can to keep from falling back there. Thankfully Jorge offered me and my two sons room and board at his place- it's actually quite sizeable- and he agreed that if I can restore the shop to its former popularity, he'd give it to me when he retires!"

"Guess fortune really smiled on you, eh?" the dual sword user asked with a short chuckle. "Good luck with getting more customers though. Do you have any plans aside from posting notices?"

"I have a few… connections from when I was out on the streets. They'll help spread rumors about us to the hunters, and when they see the numerous notices and advertisements showcasing our stock and service, they'll come flooding through those doors. And once I get my pay for the day's work, I set aside a portion to return to my impoverished friends for their assistance. I'm hoping that in doing so I can get the southern district back on its feet and encourage more people to start having hope again."

"Back on its feet? Why's the southern district been so poor lately?" the blue haired huntress asked. "I've never actually heard why."

"Well, these parts have always been a bit on the poor side, but the founding of the Master Corps had a part as well," Adrian replied with a sigh. "It was so expensive to set up all the facilities and equipment for that organization that many of the shops and taverns around here had to be shut down, since they were considered 'nonessential'. What that really did is put dozens out of work and prevent this part of the city from catching up with the times."

"Huh… I didn't realize this part of Loc Lac had been affected the most..." Wes commented, suddenly feeling a wave of guilt over being a part of the group that had put so many out of work. He decided not to bring up the fact that he or his friends were members of the Corps to avoid an unpleasant turn in the conversation. "Still, tasking yourself with recovery efforts seems like a lot more than you should have to shoulder alone. Isn't that the city council's job?"

"Like I said, the council has been very distracted with the Master Corps… Until the Corps gets on its feet as well, income to the city won't begin in earnest and we'll be stuck in this pit for who knows how long. I've waited long enough for those higher-ups to do something, and if I don't at least try then who else will? I had the chance to make myself into something more, and I decided to give that chance to everyone I can. It may take years, even decades, but in the end I hope to make a difference."

"Adriahn! I pahy you to brihng ihn tha custohmers, noht to mahke smahll tahlk with thehm!" the store owner called from across the room. Adrian flinched a little in surprise, then laughed a little.

"Ah, I… suppose I lost track of myself there. What is it you two were looking for?"

"Just a few potions and some whetstones," Wes replied. "But if I could get some hot and cool drinks too, that'd be a real help."

"I was hoping to get a few bug nets and pick axes," Sapphire added. "But I think I'd prefer the newer ones… Nothing against the old designs, but I wasn't really brought up knowing how to use them," she laughed.

"Ah, don't worry about it! I can get those for you right away!" Adrian quickly led the two over to the tables that held what they were looking for, and the hunters grabbed everything they thought they'd need before heading over to the counter to pay.

"Thahnk you vehry mahch," Jorge said, placing the gold the hunters paid with into a safe box. "Cahme agahin ahnytihme!"

"Will do," Wes replied. "Adrian, good to see you've turned yourself around so much. Keep it up!"

"But of course, my friend! Take care of yourselves now!" the man said, waving to the three hunters as they departed.

"Friend of yours?" Viper asked as they walked outside. "I saw him there when I first found this place, but I didn't know you had met before, bud."

"Ah, well, remember the time my wallet got snatched? Turns out that's the guy who did it! Course, it looks like he's doing a lot better for himself now. Small world, eh?" Wes replied with a chuckle.

"Wait, you're telling me you let that guy go without even some kind of a punishment?!" the archer asked, almost venomously. "He stole your money! That guy is a criminal; we ought to turn him in!"

"Whoa, calm down there, Viper!" Sapphire urged, confused at his sudden outburst. "It's not like he did it for nothing… Besides, it looks like he doesn't have to do that anymore, and he's trying to help prevent others from doing the same!"

"Why should that matter? He still broke the law, and who knows how many times he's stolen before!" he shouted, bringing the group to a halt by the street.

"What's the problem?" Wes asked, noting the hostility in his friend's tone. "It's not like you to freak out like this. You didn't seem as bugged about it happening when it did."

"Because I thought you at least taught him a lesson! You can't just let someone off the hook because they have an excuse, Wes!"

"What did you want me to do, beat the crap out of the guy in front of his kids? He was just trying to get money to feed them! That'd just be plain wrong, Viper!"

"Well, maybe it woulda taught them to never break the law!"

"Viper, didn't you and Wes get into trouble with the Guild officers a few days back?" Sapphire asked quickly. "I heard from the others that you broke a law then too..."

"That's not the same at all," the archer muttered, looking aside. "I can't know when a new law is passed in the city that was never mentioned before! Besides, getting into a bar fight and stealing from someone are two totally different things! What we did shouldn't have even been an offense, considering we acted in self defense!"

"Then why didn't we explain that to the officers rather than running?" Wes asked sharply. "If I recall, it was your idea to run from them."

"Do you have any idea how corrupt Guild officers can be in some parts of the city? I wasn't going to take chances with people who get paid solely on how many arrests they make!"

"So... exactly what kind of justice works for you?" Sapphire asked, confused with the archer's statement. "If breaking the law is bad, and the law enforcement is bad... where's the good?"

"In us! People who know there are problems! We need to try and fix things on our own, because the 'higher ups' we trust to do the work for us get more money the longer it takes to make a choice. So, I made my own choice, and my own justice too. Don't intentionally break the law and don't wrong other people unless you expect the same to happen to you tenfold."

"Kinda sounds like what Adrian was saying," Wes mumbled to himself. "Viper, listen, the whole 'personal justice' thing is alright, but why do you have such a vendetta against people like Adrian? It's not like you've been affected, right?"

"Not been affected...? Not been affected?! I got robbed blind four years ago and my dad got killed in the process! And as far as I know, the people who did that got off scot free! So you tell me, Wes, how have I 'not been affected'?"

Wes stood in a stunned silence, glancing away from his friend uncomfortably. _Blast, he helped me feel better after Jeremy died, and that's how I repay him?_ But... _I had no idea... Dammit, how was I supposed to know? It's not like I was trying to pry into his private life... _

"Oh… I... I'm sorry to hear about your father, Viper…" Sapphire stated somberly, drawing Wes' attention back to the conversation at hand.

"...Viper, look. It's terrible what happened to you and your dad-"

"No, really?! It happened right in front of me!" the archer snapped. "I think it's affected me a shit ton!"

"Okay, but that's not Adrian's fault!" Wes argued. "He was trying to feed his kids, and now he's working to try and help the other poor families around here! Isn't that redemption?"

"Let me ask you something instead, _Wes. _Do you think that all these people are innocent? What about the others who only steal for themselves? Who kill and take from others for their own greedy wants?! I'll bet you any money that there are people here who live like that, and your pal Adrain is _helping them._ Those people shouldn't get a second chance."

"This really isn't like you, Viper," Wes noted after a brief silence, crossing his arms. "If they don't deserve a second chance, what should they get?"

"A wooden box, and nothing else... People who take advantage of the fortune of others, who kill because it suits their greedy wants... Those are the people who shouldn't get any mercy." After a few moments of uneasy quiet, the archer quickly walked ahead of Wes and Sapphire, muttering under his breath as he rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

"…He's wrong…" Wes mumbled, troubled by Viper's sudden aggression. "No one should think like that..."

"I can't really blame him though… Can you imagine what it'd be like if your father was killed and you were robbed of all your things?" the blue haired huntress asked, sympathetic to the archer's plight.

"…Not really, considering the robbers would have to be pretty lucky to actually get a good hit in on my pa… But I see what you're trying to say. I'll talk to him about it later once he'd cooled his head a little… And once we find out how we're going to get back to HQ, considering our guide just left us in the middle of the damn city!" the hunter groaned, rubbing his temples irately. "Do you know the way back, Saph?"

"Uhm… No, I was… kinda looking at all the buildings," she sheepishly replied. "So… I'm guessing we're lost?"

"I'm gonna have to start keeping count of how many times this happens…" he sighed, walking down the street towards the path Viper had walked into.

"Wes, I have a quick question," Sapphire stated, catching up to him quickly. "You said he was wrong about what he said... What did you mean?"

"I meant that it's wrong to say some people don't deserve a second chance. I think that even in the worst people, there's a chance for something better, and if you show that to them they can turn it all around. It doesn't seem like Viper would've given Adrian the chance I did."

The short sword-wielder was silent for a time as she walked alongside him, as if she was pondering something intently.

"...Y'know, these past few days have been really crazy, haven't they?" she said slowly. "Honestly... I still feel really bad about what happened in the Tundra, and hearing how the Corps actually put so many people out of work... It almost hurts to think about it. Then there's Viper's outburst, which really didn't help lighten the mood... Sometimes I think it just isn't possible to brighten everyone's day..."

"Not with that attitude," Wes pointed out as they rounded a corner onto a somewhat large street leading towards the center of Loc Lac. "If you just give up on something, then it won't happen for sure. But if you keep trying... If you don't give up, even when it seems hopeless, maybe you'll succeed."

"Those are words to live by," Sapphire said, giggling to herself. "Did you memorize that speech?"

"Actually, my Pa told me that once... Just when I had started out hunting, I had a pretty bad run in with a pack of Jaggis, and... well, let's just say I've got a lot of scars. I honestly thought I wouldn't make it in the hunting world after getting wrecked by creatures veterans can take down with one strike, but then my Pa said that to me. I think he probably came up with that on the spot, but it was still pretty good advice..."

"If Viper had given up when he'd been robbed, he wouldn't have gotten here either. Maybe you understand him better than you might think."

"...Maybe if we can catch up to him I can talk to him about it," Wes sighed. "Didn't realize I'd have to be on the receiving end of a heart to heart conversation anytime soon..."

"Well, what are we just doing standing around then?" Sapphire asked excitedly, nudging him slightly and picking up her pace a little. "Come on, I'll bet we can catch him if we hurry!"

"There's no need to rush, Saph," Wes replied. "We don't even know where we are right now!"

"I guess you'll have to live without your wallet then!" she called back mischievously, darting away as she held the brown money-holder above her head. Wes took a moment to glance down in surprise to see that she had indeed swiped it from him.

"Dammit Saph, get back here!" he shouted, running after her. "That's not funny!"

* * *

"Almost got me there, Corrin! But you'll have to do better than that to get another point on me!" Trance quickly backed away from the other officer, brandishing his thin practice foil before him in an en garde stance. Corrin quickly closed the distance between them and lunged, intent on driving the blunt tip of his flat sword into Trance's white protective jacket.

Anticipating the move, Trance parried the attack, knocking his opponents blade aside, and thrust his sword arm out towards Corrin's torso. The tip struck right on top of the man's heart, inches below the protective bib attached to the wire framed mask he wore.

"Bah, you got me again! So, next one is match point, right?" Corrin stated, returning to his starting position on the strip they were practicing on. Outside of the Master Corps HQ building, a sizable space of land was set aside for the hunters to use as a practice zone for their various techniques and weapons. This particular strip, almost ten meters in length, was made specifically for officers to practice their fencing skills.

"You got it. Score is 14-6, my lead," the officer replied, adjusting the glove covering his right hand and gripping his practice foil again. "En garde, ready…Fence!"

The two combatants slowly inched their way towards one another, warily inspecting the other's stance and blade position. Trance made the first attack, a short thrust with his arm that he intended to catch the other man by surprise with. Corrin instinctively blocked the attack, though, twisting his wrist in a way to throw the point of Trance's blade downwards and open his guard. Trance instinctively threw himself backwards as Corrin lunged at him, bringing his foil up in time to knock his opponent's blade away as he landed.

Keeping on the tips of his toes, Trance again slowly made his way towards his opponent, making circles with the tip of his practice sword to keep Corrin guessing as to what his next move would be. The man grinned to himself as he thought up a quick plan to end the match in his favor, something his opponent couldn't see through the dark wiring covering his face.

Making as if to lunge at Corrin's right shoulder, Trance waited a split second as the man's reflexes took over and brought his guard to where he thought Trance would attack. Corrin hadn't expected the brown eyed officer to use a feint, though. As soon as Corrin's guard shifted away from his left side, Trance pulled his sword back and took a short leap forward, arm extended, and made a sudden shout to surprise his opponent.

The maneuver worked just as well as Trance had hoped: Corrin was caught off guard by both the feint and the sudden yelp his opponent made, and couldn't react quickly enough to parry the blade as it approached. The tip of Trance's foil slammed into Corrin's jacketed chest with enough force to actually knock him onto his rear, his sword rolling away from his grasp as he landed.

"Geez, you didn't have to get that into it for the last one," Corrin said, rubbing the spot the blade had struck.

"Sorry, mate, sometimes I get a little too competitive," Trance laughed, sheathing his foil in a small metal loop near his waist and helping the other man to his feet. Both officers removed their masks and shook hands respectfully. "Good match."

"To you as well. But tell me, where did you learn to fence like that, Trance? I haven't seen anyone that good before."

"Hah, well, I put most of my time at the Academy into my fencing classes… Academics were never really my thing, so swordplay was the best part of the day for me. I put everything I could into it, since I knew that while I might not be at the top of the class in book smarts, I could at least be at the top with combat smarts."

"That's not a bad way to look at it… But what exactly did you get on the exit exam? There's no swordplay involved in that."

"Ehh… I got a C+. Just between us, I did have a little 'help' on that…"

"Then how did you get scouted for the Corps?" Corrin asked, beginning to remove the padded jacket and glove he wore. "I thought Balestra only allowed people with high scores in both halves of the Academy to work under him."

"Guess one balanced out the other somehow," Trance replied with a shrug, placing his equipment into the bag he had carried it to the training field in. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand; fencing was a taxing exercise in and of itself, but wearing all of that protective gear under the hot desert sun only made it harder. The pair had to repeatedly take water breaks between bouts to prevent themselves from dehydrating.

"So it would seem… You said he put you into the Information Processing Division, right? What does that entail?"

"Mostly just filing reports, gathering information, occasionally running errands for him. I'm midway through a hunt report right now, actually. How about you?"

"Hah, me? I'm just a supervisor and guard under Lyle. I make sure these guys don't get too out of hand, y'know?" An angry shout from across the field drew both of their gazes to a bench on the opposite end of the training grounds, where a green haired huntress was storming away from a trio of hunters seated by the shooting range.

"Kinda like that?" Trance asked, shouldering his bag.

"...As long as no one dies and no limbs are lost, my job is done. Besides, I'm off duty right now."

"Good point. I gotta say though, it's kind of impressive seeing all these hunters here. The best of the best, training for the hardest jobs imaginable... Hell, I heard a rumor from one of them that they even uncovered what was causing those whirlpools out by Tanzia!"

"Really now? What did they say did it?"

"Apparently one of the rarest monsters alive: an Abyssal Lagiacrus!"

"You're kidding," Corrin scoffed. "Those are only myths, and you know it. Just like the so called 'Goldbeard Ceadeus' and 'Hallowed Jhen Mohran'."

"I remember you saying the same thing about the Lucent Nargacuga," Trance pointed out, walking into the Headquarters building with his friend.

"That… was a one-time mistake. I was wrong once, sure, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong about everything else."

"Hah, tell that to your woman, Corrin. She'll educate you on why you're completely wrong about everything!"

"Don't get me started on that… You met her one time, Trance, and I still think that was the biggest mistake of my career. Did you have to tell her about the incident with the scientists?"

"Only because it was a great conversation starter. I had to break the ice somehow."

"Ah, an icebreaker, was it? Me almost getting blown up by a felvine bomb helps 'break the ice'?" Corrin said wryly, calling for the elevator to bring them to their quarters in the upper floors.

"She seemed to like the way you smelled that night, at least. You sure she isn't part Felyne?"

"…I haven't seen a tail yet, so I'll assume no, but she was quite… affectionate after dinner," Corrin muttered, his face flushing a little bit. "What about you though? Still playing the fields, are we?"

"Erm… yeah… Not gonna lie, I think the hunter types suit me better. Unfortunately, most of the attractive ones I've seen have something about them that really puts me off."

"Such as?"

"Alright, take that Snow chick for example. She's pretty, right? She's a good conversationalist, she's got a nice... uh, 'build', and she's a fun person to be around. Well, then there's her brother, Jack frickin' Frost. You get close to her, you're within draw distance of that sword of his. And he never says anything! It's probably the most unnerving thing I've ever felt before, thinking there's a guy at the ready to gut you with one wrong move."

"What would you say if I told you he was right behind you?" Corrin asked with a sly grin.

"I'd say you're Bullfango shitting me," Trance replied with a short chuckle. "Do you honestly think I'd fall for something that obvious?"

"Come on, easy there, Frost... Try not to move your arm too much, alright?" a voice behind the officers said. Corrin and Trance glanced at each other confusedly before turning around to see the armor clad hunter being escorted to the stairs by Snow, who was wearing casual day wear. She noticed Trance as the officers stared at them, giving the man a friendly wave as she passed. "Hey there, Trance! Good to see you! Can't stay for long, sorry, but I'll see you around!"

The officers watched the pair as they ascended the stairs and disappeared from sight before turning to face one another.

"I didn't think you were being serious!" Trance hissed.

"Neither did I!" Corrin retorted, keeping his own voice low. "Did you actually see me look back once?!"

"What if she heard that conversation?! My chances with her probably just went right down the drain!"

"Weren't you just talking about how you didn't want to chance it with her anyways because of her brother?"

"I- No, you- Shut up!"

* * *

Sal giggled to herself as she watched the two arguing Corps officers board the elevator bound for the top floors. She had only heard snippets of their conversations, but apparently one of them was in a relationship with a Felyne, and that was enough to make an entire day spent sitting behind a desk filing paperwork infinitely more entertaining. Seeing their reaction to the Tundra Twins (as she had started referring to Frost and Snow) walking in behind them was only further icing on the cake. This was one of her favorite parts of being a liaison: seeing how everyone who walked through the doors opposite her interacted with each other.

She glanced over to the door as she saw the familiar figure of her husband stride into the building, his worn navy blue captain's coat billowing out behind his legs. The captain stopped and dusted the sand off of his coat before walking onto the carpeted section of the lobby.

"Welcome back, dear," the liaison said cheerfully, embracing her beloved as he approached her. "How was the sand sea today?"

"Mostly the same as always," Dustin laughed. "Dry, hot, and windy. We actually ended up sailing past the ruins of the old fortress on our way to pick up a group of hunters from the Sandy Plains. Barely anything there but black rocks now... It's been a long time since that all happened, hasn't it?"

"It really has... Almost twenty years, and it seems like it all went by so fast..."

"You aren't regretting anything, are you?" the captain asked with a knowing smile.

"Aside from blasting that Ivory Lagiacrus' head off when it almost killed you, no," she replied, not having fond memories of the incident.

"Still... If it hadn't been for that, who knows what we'd be doing now. For all we know, if I hadn't gotten... injured, we'd be hunting something ten times more likely to kill us. I wouldn't want to lose you to something like that, hun."

Sal smiled warmly at her husband and embraced him again. "I just think you don't want the burden of parenthood alone," she jokingly purred into his ear.

"Hah, perhaps... It is hard raising Kari with us being away with so much with work. At least Zephyr and Kylie are willing to watch her for us during the days, but I don't believe it's good for her interacting with them more than us."

"Maybe I can take some time off next week and watch her. Sir Balestra has a few other liaisons available too, you know. I'm sure a week off would be nothing."

"You forget your own standing here, Mrs. Head Liaison," Dustin joked, patting her head affectionately. "To be honest, I think it's a great idea. I just wish I had the opportunity to do the same. Not easy to get time off when I have to ferry groups of hunters between the Plains and Loc Lac each day..."

"You'll get more time before long, don't you worry, Mr. Captain," Sal assured, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "So, when do you plan on shaving that fur off of your face?"

"Does it really bother you that much?" he replied, scratching at the stubbly blond beard growing on his face. "I personally like the look quite well..."

"It pricks me every time I get close to you, you know! I don't find that very enjoyable!"

"Last I checked, York and I had a similar idea with our facial hair, and Rose hardly seemed to care about his at all."

"Well, you aren't him, and I do care, so you'd better get rid of it within the week!"

"It only took me a couple days to grow it out this much; we'll probably have the same talk next week, dear."

"Doesn't matter. I want it gone, kapeesh?"

"Alright, alright, fine... But it's your turn to pick up Kari from Zephyr's place next, deal?"

"Seems like a fair trade, Mr. Captain. But tell me, are you going to use a razor this time, or will you insist on using that 'gift' York sent you?"

"Oh, this?" Dustin asked, holding his arm to release a thin grey blade hidden below his sleeve. "It has more uses than just stabbing things, Mrs. Head Liaison."

"Like cutting your face off," she pointed out, poking at a check-shaped scar on his left cheek. "I don't see why you men always find the need to show off so much by doing the stupidest things..."

"Because women like those stupid things. It worked with you, no?"

"Maybe it did... But perhaps I like a _sensible_ idiot as opposed to a _complete_ idiot."

"Luckily for you, I seemed to fit that criteria from day one!" Dustin laughed, retracting the blade and kissing his wife lovingly. "Ah, I almost forgot! You were between shifts when I came back earlier, but a box came in for Wes earlier. Mind telling him when he comes back?"

"Will do," Sally replied, giving her beloved another affectionate hug. "But can I ask you something? Do you really like working like this? It's almost like we aren't expected to take many breaks or have time for ourselves, let alone each other... Do you think Sir Balestra may be pushing the hunters a little for just the first week? I've seen some of the assignments he's sent them off on, and these ones seem like the hardest ones he could find..."

"Hmm... It's hard to tell what he's thinking, but it could be that he just wants the Corps to become something noteworthy. He has spent the better part of the last ten years working towards this, after all. As for time for each other... I can always provide more of that if you so desire."

"Oh, really now?" Sal replied with a knowing smile, playing along with the captains teasing. "Such a brave and kind man you are, having the gall to set aside everything just for your poor, distressing maiden!"

"When her happiness is the only treasure I seek, everything else pales in comparison," he stated, kneeling down and kissing her ring finger. "But alas, I must be off again. I promise, when next I dock in these ports I will devote the rest of my day to you, my dear. Until then, I must bid you a fond farewell."

"Alright, get going, Mr. Captain," she laughed, waving as her beloved again walked out the door, confidence and authority seeming to flow behind him just as his coattails did.

The liaison chuckled to herself as she pulled a ruby necklace out from her shirt. It was something Dustin had helped her get many years before when they had just met, a rare piece of jewelry made from a Rathian Ruby and a Rathalos Ruby. She had cherished it for the entire time they'd known each other, refusing to remove it from around her neck no matter what.

_You definitely are an idiot, Dustin... But at least you're my idiot._

* * *

"Finally... that took way longer than it should have," Wes said, stopping to catch his breath outside the gates leading to the Master Corps' private district.

"It wasn't that bad!" Sapphire replied playfully, leaning on the wall next to him. "Just think of it as a fun way to learn your way around!"

"I wasn't paying attention to the sights, y'know. I was more concerned with catching the blue-headed maniac who stole my money."

"Oh, don't make it sound so negative! I planned on giving it back to you from the start."

"And what do you think everyone on the streets thought seeing me chasing you across the rooftops on our way back here? That's not exactly a subtle method of travel."

"Only cuz you were yelling at me the whole time! And besides, I thought you liked a little bit of flare; 'hunting in style', right?"

"That wasn't exactly a hunt, but fair enough..." the dual blade user sighed, pushing himself up and walking towards the HQ building. "I'm going to look for Viper now. Maybe he went back here while we were playing tag."

Sapphire followed a short distance before noticing the other three Gem Sisters gathered by the training grounds. "Shoot, I forgot I promised to meet up with them to practice our moves! I'll catch ya later, blondie! Good luck with Viper!" she shouted, waving to her friends and running over to them.

"Dammit, I thought I could go one day without hearing that nickname..." Wes muttered sourly as he made his way into headquarters and pulled his hood down. He was greeted by the sight of Snow conversing with Sal at the front counter, and quickly walked over to them.

"Oh, heya Wes!" the white haired huntress greeted warmly, turning and giving him a welcoming smile. "How've you been holding up? We haven't really seen each other much since the Tundra..."

"Guess not, no. How's Jack Frost doing?"

"Hah, that's a new one! He's alright, but we aren't going off on any hunts for the next week or so. His arm needs a break from using the quickdraw so much."

"Viper said Frost threw the Zinogre back when it tried to gut you... Exactly how strong is that guy? I don't think I know anyone aside from my Uncle who could pull off a move like that."

"He's as strong as he needs to be, I guess," she replied. "He has to be to use his sword the way he does. Still, he isn't invincible... I'm just glad most of us were able to make it out of there okay. That Stygian Zinogre was no joke..."

"Yeah... You don't seem too bothered about Jeremy not making it, though," Wes pointed out, noting the huntress' eased expression. Snow gave him a confused, almost shocked look before shaking her head quickly.

"Oh, no, it's... well, I just have my own way of dealing with death... I've seen a lot of hunters fall before..."

"Everyone has their own way of coping with losses," Sal said sympathetically, smiling at the two. "Even if you lost a comrade, and you may lose more in the future. Maybe this experience will give you more reason to try your best and get everyone back safe and sound."

"Yeah... It's not something I'm used to, at least..." Wes mumbled, again recalling how close he had been to pulling the older hunter onto the airship with him.

"Here, I have some news that might brighten your day a little, Wes!" the liaison said enthusiastically, pulling his mind away from the incident. "A package arrived for you earlier today while you were out. Dustin had it brought up to your room. Three guesses who it's from!"

"Huh...I think I'll check it out in a little bit," Wes said. "Did either of you see Viper come in earlier?"

"I saw him come in about a half hour ago, but he went right upstairs without saying anything," Snow confirmed. "It didn't really seem like him. Usually Viper makes at least one smart-ass joke when I see him. Do you know anything about what's bugging him?"

"Follow me up; I'll tell you on the way," Wes said, beginning to walk over to the elevator.

"Wait, you can't use that!" Sal urged from across the room. "The stupid thing broke down again... A couple officers got stuck inside there, and we're working on getting them out right now."

"I can't even get on the thing without it breaking down..." the dual blade wielder groaned, making his way to the staircase instead. Snow joined him in his ascent, and Wes recounted what had happened with the golden-eyed archer earlier, finishing just as they made it to his floor.

"Wow, I... didn't realize he was so against those kind of people," Snow remarked slowly, taking in what Wes had told her. "I mean... well, sure, it makes sense, but... Did he really say they didn't deserve a second chance...?"

"I know, it's a harsh mindset, ain't it?" the dual blade wielder replied, walking over to Viper's door. He paused before reaching it, though. "...It would probably help to have some kind of plan of what to say before I do this, huh?"

"I don't mind giving you a hand!" Snow said, walking over to the door. "Just follow my lead, okay?"

"Erm... Okay...?"

The huntress knocked a few more times, becoming a little impatient at the fact that he hadn't answered in almost a minute. "Viper, open up! It's us! I know you're in there!"

The door slowly creaked open then, just enough for the golden-eyed archer to stick his head out of the frame to see them.

"What do you want? You bring Snow along to talk my ear off?"

"Listen Viper," the huntress began. "Wes told me about the fight you two had earlier, and I can understand why you're upset with him. But come on, you two are practically best friends! So what if you disagree on something: we're not all the same! There's no use in hating each other because of one disagreement, right?"

"I guess not... Doesn't mean I exactly forgive you for the 'not affected' comment though," Viper said, shooting a cold glare in Wes' direction.

"Eh... I guess I really should apologize... I'm sorry I came off like a bit of an asshole with what I said-"

"'A bit'?"

"Okay, yeah, I probably sounded like a huge asshole. Point is, I'm sorry I said what I did without realizing you probably had a good reason for believing that." Snow urged Wes to continue with a hand motion, which he only picked up on a few seconds after she continued to do so. "And, uh, do you think we could move past this?"

Viper gave the blue and green eyed hunter a shocked look, almost as if he was surprised that he was actually apologizing. "Well, I... I guess I was sorta in the wrong there too," he said, opening the door fully and stepping into the hallway. "Sorry about blowing up on you without telling you all that before hand. Just... don't talk about the politics of that with me, alright?"

"And what about religion?" Wes joked, smirking as he saw Viper chuckle a little.

"Yeah, friends shouldn't discuss politics or religion, bud," the golden eyed archer said, holding out his hand in a gesture of peace. Wes took it, and the two attempted to perform an elaborate handshake, though it ended somewhat poorly. "We should probably try to work on that..."

"At least we agreed on a truce, right?" Wes laughed.

"Great job, you two!" Snow said happily, suddenly pulling them both into a tight hug. "I just knew you'd make up!"

"Whoa, whoa, when did you get so touchy-feely?!" Viper shouted in a flustered surprise, his face buried into Snow's sizable chest.

"This got really awkward extremely fast..." Wes said nervously, finding himself in a similar predicament to the archer. After a few moments, the huntress released the pair, who were more than a little flustered.

"Well, I think I ought to go and check up on how Frost is doing," the white-haired huntress said with a sly wink. Wes quickly determined that she had probably intended to do that fairly early on. "I'll see you both around! And Wes, you can thank me later."

Wes and Viper both watched the huntress walk down the stairs before turning to each other nervously, neither having a clue what just happened.

"Was... was she coming onto one of us?" Wes asked awkwardly, feeling that his face was still slightly reddened. Viper was likewise flustered, and shook his head quickly in response.

"I have no idea. No one understands women, remember?"

* * *

Wes soon retired to his room to inspect the package Sal had informed him of. Seeing a medium sized box resting on his desk, the hunter walked over to the table and removed the note tied to the top, opened it and began reading.

_Wes,_

_I'm sorry this letter has to be a shorter one, but your father accidently burned the first one he wrote -along with his writing hand- trying to use a new gadget he put together. Personally, I couldn't be happier hearing how well you've been doing! It puts your mother's heart at ease, at the very least. Fortunately, your thick-skulled father managed to put together the blade for your friend Viper before almost blowing his hand off, but he told me to remind you to give Viper a run down on how to use it. It isn't a toy!_

_I added something for you myself, too; I know you probably miss my home cooking, so I packed couple meals in the storage tin for you! Always remember to eat breakfast, and you'll have the energy to tangle with the toughest monsters out there! _

_Your father also said to tell you he finds the schematics you sent him to be very interesting, so once his hand heals he'll get right onto putting something together. If I can ask one thing, though, try not to send him too many things involving explosives or fire... I've had about enough of that over the years. _

_Anyways, I've got to get back to patching up this lug's hand, so I'll end the letter here. Good luck out there, Wes, and remember to always be careful. I know how you hunt, and I just want to make sure when I see you next you have all your limbs attached._

_Love, Ma and Pa_

Upon finishing the letter, Wes set it down and extended one of his wrist blades, using it to pry the lid open before retracting it. Tossing the lid to the ground, he immediately went for the silvery tin box used to store food for extended periods of time resting within. _I didn't realize how much I missed her cooking until she sent this... A week without Ma's food is like living hell for me!_

Only two meals were packed inside the box, but all Wes cared about was the fact that he now could enjoy his favorite food for the first time since leaving home. At a speed which would leave even Viper impressed, the hunter scarfed down a juicy dragon tail steak and a loaf of freshly baked heaven bread, sighing in content as he leaned back in his chair after finishing the first one.

"That hit the spot... I'd better save the other one for later," he mumbled, putting the other food back into the tin and setting it back into the box. His gaze shifted from the tin to a smaller rectangular box covered in leather, which he lifted out after a moment's hesitation.

_After what Viper said before, even if he is calmed down now, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to give this to him... Not yet, at least. _Still, Wes couldn't deny that he was interested in the blade's appearance, and he decided to open the leather case to inspect the device within.

It looked like a simple grey device similar to the ones Wes wore, though he noted it was about an inch wider to accommodate the tail spike blade. There was also a strange hole in the back of the blade compartment, something Wes hadn't remembered his father ever adding before.

Pressing the button on the bottom of the device, the blue- and green-eyed hunter watched as a silvery-azure blade extended from within, giving off a pale golden glow as the sunlight from outside his window reflected off of it. The blade was about an inch shorter than Wes', though it was indeed wider, making it more suitable to deliver slashes than stabs. It was a little more jagged than the metal blades Wes owned, though this was mostly a result of the difficulty in cutting down its size.

After a moment Wes decided to return the blade to the box, but paused upon seeing a small note inside. He took it out and unfurled it curiously, beginning to read the familiar scribbles on it.

_Wes and/or Viper,_

_I decided to experiment a little with this blade, given the spike seemed to have the properties for an idea I had a while ago. I removed the latent poison within the blade, leaving it open to be replaced with any other status you might want to use instead: namely sleep, paralysis, and poison. If you don't have any added, it'll function just like an ordinary wrist blade. If you want to add a status, retract the blade and insert a bow coating into the hole on the back. It'll drain about an arrow's worth of the solution, but it'll last for a good few slashes against a monster. Use it right, and you could even paralyze a monster with one stab. _

_Wes, make sure you give Viper a detailed explanation on how to use this. I don't give these out lightly, and with these additions especially you had better ensure your friend doesn't hurt himself, or someone else, for that matter._

_I trust you can teach him well enough, though. Be safe!_

_York_

"What the hell... Viper got a cooler blade than I did!" Wes mumbled, feeling a twinge of jealousy. "Maybe I could... No, no, keeping it would be a dick move. Plus, he'd notice if I just started buying bow coatings... I'll just hold onto it until I'm sure he won't go on a criminal stabbing spree..."

Placing both the blade and the note back inside the leather case and closed it, setting it aside and grabbing a fresh sheet of paper and a pencil. "Time to write a response, then..."

_Dear Ma and Pa,_

_Well, things have definitely gotten more eventful over here. We had a job in the Tundra a few days ago involving an old ruin and a Stygian Zinogre straight out of hell. I won't lie, this was the first job I've ever been on that I completely failed. The ruins were empty when we reached the end, and we left one of our group behind to escape the Zinogre. Almost caught his hand from the side of the ship, but he fell an inch too short. It wasn't really easy to deal with, but luckily I've got some good friends over here who helped me out of it. I guess not every job can be a success, huh? Still, that doesn't mean I'm going to let this get me down any longer. I won't let it happen to anyone else if I can help it, at least. _

_Ma, thanks a ton for the food. Your cooking beats everything out here, hands down. I'd share some with the others, but that's only if I can convince myself not to eat it all at once. And Pa, I think you owe me for that bet we made last month; you said you wouldn't almost blow a limb off the first week I was gone, remember? Since I'm pretty sure you forgot, I'll remind you that you owe me five hundred gold._

_No need to worry about me, I'm only taking risks that I think are necessary. Hopefully one of my jobs might land me near Moga so I can visit sometime! Until next time, good hunting, and stay sharp._

_Wes_

Feeling content with the letter, Wes sealed and addressed it, pushing himself up from the desk as soon as he had finished. He pocketed the envelope inside his belt pouch before making his way out of the room, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him next.

* * *

**_Author Notes: _**_Exposition chapter! Not a lot of action happening this time around, though I'm getting some good old fashioned character and plot development out of the way at least. This chapter had something of a "development hell", considering it took me a week to get motivated to write it after all the action in the previous ones. Unfortunately, that also came at the price of depleting my reserve chapters, so I've gotta work my ass off if I'm gonna get back up to speed. I've decided to consistently release chapters on Saturdays since I've had an abundance of time as of late, and I'd like to stick with it as much as possible. Fortunately, I don't believe I'll have the same problem for the next few chapters, so I should be able to get back into more comfortable territory. It'll only take a few long nights, a couple cups of coffee, maybe some adrenaline boosters... Yes, I am kidding. Are you not entertained? Okay, don't forget to leave a review about your thoughts, and I'll see you all around, my faithful readers!_

**_Playing:_**_MH3U, Dead Rising 3, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (felt like kicking it old school for once)_

**_Listening to: _**_OneRepublic, Paramore, The Offspring_

**_Watching: _**_Not much, really. Any suggestions would be appreciated._

**_Reading:_**_The Lost Civilization: DLC, Weapon- A Visual History of Arms and Armor (This is just yes)_


	8. Chapter 8

The Master Corps

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated. Harker belongs to dashboardgecko._**

**Edited by: dashboardgecko**

* * *

Chapter 8- Floodgate

The next couple months were spent much the same as that first week. Most times, Wes was sent on exploration and recovery missions, since he was deemed as one of the top picks for such work, though he was also involved in numerous hunting contracts as well. Most of his jobs ended favorably, though some came to less than stellar conclusions as well. Still, he loved every minute of it. With each successful job, the Master Corps became more and more respected as the driving force behind advanced monster hunting and recent improvements in the city.

Fortunately, Balestra had seen fit to allow members leave of service every other week, giving them the chance to embark on regular quests with regular hunters, or simply take time for themselves. Thanks to that, Wes had found time to begin teaching Viper some of the basics of hand to hand combat, though he had not yet given the archer the wrist blade his father had crafted. While the dual blade wielder had found some initial difficulties in teaching his friend, Viper was eager to learn, and made fairly good progress in a very short amount of time.

"Alright Viper, try again!" Wes jabbed at the archer twice, which the golden-eyed man swiftly blocked. He retaliated with a kick aimed at Wes' ribs, but the hunter easily ducked below the strike and landed a punch into Viper's back, knocking him forward from the impact. "C'mon, you can't drop your guard! Only use a stronger attack when your opponent can't dodge it!"

"Where the hell did you learn all of this?!" Viper asked exhaustedly, turning around and getting back into a fighting stance. He threw a punch at Wes, who blocked the attack with his forearm and shoved the archer away.

"My Pa taught me this when I was barely even ten! Consider this basic training!"

"Aw hell…"

The two sparred for several more minutes before Wes agreed to take a break. Both hunters were coated in sweat from the desert sun above the training yard and the physical exertions of their heated bout.

A number of other hunters had taken to watching the pair in their endeavors, which Wes found very satisfying. _Seems like even more are here today than usual… Must be getting pretty popular to watch us go at it like this, after all. _

The hunter took a long drink from a bottle of water and sat on a bench beside the exhausted Viper. The archer had already downed three bottles of water, and was currently chugging a fourth.

"Whew! Not a bad way to cool down, eh, bud?" Viper asked, setting the now empty bottle down. "So, give it to me straight: how good do you think I've gotten?"

"Well, I think you've got enough skill to take down anyone without training like this, which basically means most hunters in the city," Wes answered. "Against someone with similar training, though, you'll need more practice. Still, compared to the Viper who was practically shitting himself at that bar fight a few weeks ago, you've come really far."

"Glad to hear it! I've gotta get some more practice in though. I've gotta pay you back for all these bruises, after all!"

"I'm sure you'll get good enough to do that eventually," Wes joked. Despite the blue-and-green-eyed hunter's tutelage, Viper still had a tendency to focus on stronger blows with easy tells, which Wes' quicker and less forceful strikes were able to overwhelm. Even then, Viper's own adaptability had proven to be one of his best traits, and Wes had barely managed to dodge a few close calls.

"Oh great, looks like we have a few more visitors," Viper muttered, glancing over Wes's shoulder and rolling his eyes before opening another water bottle. The dual blade wielder turned around to see Emerald and Amethyst approaching them, both fully geared up in suits of G-Rank Nargacuga and Arzuros armor, respectively.

"I see you two have been entertaining yourselves," the green haired huntress said. "How's the little snake doing? Gotten any better at throwing his little fists around?"

"Good enough that I could trounce you if I wanted to," Viper shot back, setting another empty bottle down. "What are you here for, besides gawking at how awesome we are?"

"We were actually looking for Sapphire, thank you very much. Ruby wanted us to find her. I don't really care what you two nimrods get up to. Have you seen her around?"

"Did you check behind the plant on the seventh floor? That's where I usually find her," Wes commented, chuckling a little.

"What were you two doing behind the plant…?" Amethyst asked, as if she had suddenly snapped back into reality from a daydream.

"…Okay, that was really random…" Viper said, laughing confusedly at the purple haired huntress' question. "Does she always do that?"

"Kind of, yeah. Why, you trying to get to know her better? Gonna ask her out or something?" Emerald inquired with a wicked smirk.

"No, no... I'm alright... No thanks..." Amethyst mumbled as she embarrassedly buried her face in her hands and hid behind the green-eyed archer.

"I really don't get why you two are always getting on each other's case so much," Wes said after recovering from a fit of laughter. "Is it possible for either of you to say anything remotely nice about the other?"

"No!" they both shouted in unison, and Wes shook his head in mild amusement as their banter began to escalate. In the meantime, Amethyst had slowly crept away from behind Emerald and lowered herself onto the bench beside Wes, watching the archers argue with each other.

"So… how are you…?" Amethyst asked meekly, glancing at the dual blade wielder.

"I'm fine, how about you? We haven't really talked much, have we?" Wes replied with a quick smile.

"Uhm… I'm fine… I guess we haven't… Did you want to talk more or something…?"

"I don't mind a conversation with a new face every now and then. Tell me about yourself."

"Oh… Well, my measurements are 33 C-"

"Whoa, whoa, that's _not_ what I meant!" Wes said in a flustered mixture of surprise and confusion. "I meant like why you got into hunting or something, not… _that_."

"Uhm… I'm sorry, I'm just... not really good with making small talk…" the purple haired huntress mumbled, having buried her face in her hands again. After a moment, she lifted her face again, and Wes could see the faint remnants of a blush leaving her cheeks. "I guess I just started hunting when I needed a job… Seemed like the easiest thing to get into…"

"It's definitely the most popular occupation, that's for sure. Any relatives in the business too?"

"No, no… just me. I don't have any actual relatives…"

"I… see… And how did you meet your color-coded companions?"

"We've been friends since we were kids… Just kinda happened…" she replied lazily, like she was zoning out.

"…You really aren't a great conversationalist, are you?"

"I'm great at… things…"

"Alright, that's it!" Emerald shouted, bringing Wes' attention back to the huntress and Viper. "We'll see who the better shot is, right now! Get your bow, and we'll have a shoot off!" With a huff, she began making her way towards the shooting range.

"Alright, give me a minute, and I'll school you on how being a deadeye really works, you green-haired bitch!" Viper shouted back, grumbling to himself as he began to pull his Green Nargacuga helm on and pick up his bow.

"So, what happened this time?" Wes asked, getting to his feet as Amethyst stood up and followed after her friend, leaving the two alone by the bench. "Was it a comment about what food you like? Last argument was about Moga Cola tasting better than Tanzian Ale, right?"

"No, this time she said that my armor made me look like a bird, something that really made no sense," the golden-eyed archer replied, holding his arms out to either side to show his armor off. "I look more like a frickin' ninja than a bird! Right bud?"

"Well, I can see some 'feathery' traits in the design, but at first glance I'd say you're right."

"Exactly, and first impressions mean everything! Now come on, we're going to the shooting range. I've got a score that needs settling."

* * *

"Fascinating… Truly fascinating!" Joshua exclaimed, scribbling several notes into a small notebook. "The creature's body structure implies it may have been a mutation of a Barroth, but its skin pigmentation is more akin to that of an Aptonoth… Perhaps even a Rhenoplos could have been the original form!"

"So, basically you have no idea what this thing is," Trance mumbled, stifling a yawn. He had been ordered by Balestra to inspect the research the Corps Scientists were conducting on the new beast several hunters had captured a number of weeks earlier. They had kept it heavily sedated to prevent it from awakening, since it apparently housed the ability to fire a beam of concentrated acid capable of destroying the container it was held in. Still, as interesting as the creature was, Trance couldn't help but feel bored watching the white-clad scientists scampering around it taking samples from the body or administering more tranquilizers.

"We have no way to inspect its genetic makeup, unfortunately, so we must make do with what we have available to us," the fiery haired researcher replied quickly, jotting down several more notes. "The last attempt to use such a device ended with both a failure and the detonation of said device. Perhaps I could contact my associate Harker and see if he would be interested in assisting our research, though…"

"With all due respect, I don't want to meet the kind of people you consider 'associates', Sir," the guild officer stated. _He's mad enough as is… I'm almost afraid he has friends crazier than him! _

"Were it not for our intense drives to uncover the unknown, I doubt we would ever make progress in society, my friend. Mayhap we could be seen as 'insane' or 'mad', but if it weren't for this research many lives would be lost to these unknown specimens. This is all indeed quite necessary, and we are the ones capable of meeting the standard we expect of ourselves. Do you understand what I mean, Mr. Trance?"

"…Not really, no. Was it something about you being crazy and not caring?"

"In simplistic terminology, yes."

As the man returned to inspecting the creature and taking notes, another researcher ran over to them, pausing a moment to catch his breath. He held one of the several magma rubies the Master Corps had uncovered over the last few weeks in his grasp, a small bone in his other hand, and seemed rather excited about something.

"Mr. Joshua, we've had a breakthrough! It's incredible- no, it's astounding, it's- it's incredible!"

"Yes, Barkins, what did you find out?" Joshua inquired, curiously.

"Apparently, the rubies exhibit some manner of control over a monster's mind!" he stated excitedly, holding the glowing red orb out before himself. "Lyson, Gorman and I conducted an… uh, an 'accidental' experiment with one of the cage Great Jaggis. While transporting the M.R. across the chamber, Gorman waved it in front of the Jaggi's cage, and a reddish… light came out of it, connecting with the creature's cranium. Afterwards its irises seemed to glow a reddish tint, and it started following Gorman's orders!"

"What do you-? This is astounding- no, it's incredible, it's- it's astounding!" Joshua spurted, completely forgetting his earlier research in the heat of the moment. "What sort of control does it allow?"

"Allow me to demonstrate! Fido, here!"

Barkins held the magma ruby above his head, and a medium sized Great Jaggi stomped over to where the three men were gathered, giving Trance a scare as it neared. It didn't attack any of them, though, instead lowering itself to the ground and wagging its tail expectantly.

"See the bone? Go get it!" The researcher threw the bone across the chamber, which the brightly colored monster quickly ran to retrieve, returning a moment later and dropping the bone to the man's feet.

"You… you used mind control to teach it how to _fetch?_" Trance asked confusedly, keeping a hand on the rapier sheathed at his side. "Are you sure this is safe…?"

"Erm… not particularly, no, but taking risks allows us to make even more progress!" he exclaimed, holding the ruby above his head again excitedly.

A flash of red light suddenly flashed within the orb, though, striking the wyvern's head with a strange beam-like projection. At once the monster roared at the three men, lunging towards Barkins while the man yelped fearfully in surprise.

Trance quickly stepped between the researcher and the Great Jaggi, drawing his sharp, silver-bladed rapier from its sheath and slashing through the monster's head and face repeatedly with almost blinding speed. A moment after dealing the final cut, crimson blood spurted out of the half-dozen cuts crisscrossing the beast's head and it collapsed to the ground, dead.

"Not exactly the 'risk' you wanted to take, I'm guessing," Trance stated wryly, sheathing his sword in its black scabbard. "I don't think these rubies are something we should be messing with…"

"Nonsense! This is an incredible progression in the study of these gems!" Joshua declared, seizing the orb from Barkins' hand to inspect it closer. "Why, this effect is quite similar to a phenomenon exhibited by a group of rogue hunters some twenty years ago! They managed to somehow control a number of creatures through unknown means, even reigning in an Azure Rathalos and a Gigginox! Perhaps this was the way they did so! If not, mayhap it is a similar method of the process…"

"Shall we conduct further tests than?" Barkins asked excitedly. Joshua's confirmation led to the two researchers making their way across the chamber to where several other creatures were penned up, leaving Trance alone in the center of the room.

"…I swear, when something new comes up they act like little kids… I suppose I better report this to Sir Balestra…" he mumbled, heading back towards the elevator leading up to the building proper. "Better see about getting some more guards down here too... These egg heads are going to get themselves killed if one of those things break loose..."

* * *

Frost exhaled slowly as he focused on the wooden dummy set up before himself, leveling his long sword in front of himself with both hands. He stood in small diamond created by it and three other dummies, one on either side of him and the last behind him.

After taking a brief moment to focus, the masked hunter drew his blue-bladed weapon above his head and delivered a powerful stroke clean through his target, cutting it in two parts diagonally with a trail of lightning element. He immediately twisted the blade around in his grasp and stabbed below his arm at the target set up behind him, running it through the head without almost any resistance. Drawing the electric blade from the dummy's body, he dropped onto one knee and slashed upwards, cutting a blue line into the third target, and with a powerful push from his legs threw himself into a wild spinning attack that bisected all four at the same level.

Frost sheathed his blade slowly as the electrically burned wood chunks fell to the ground, buckling the ivory scabbard of his long sword onto the back of his waist.

"That was even faster than last time, Frost! Nice job!" Snow commended, approaching him from the bench she had been resting on after her own go at the practice dummies. "Do you mind helping me set up a couple of the sturdier ones so I can practice my combos?"

Frost wordlessly walked over to the small pile of practice dummies, easily lifting two out from the stack that had crude, heavy metal armor covering the torso and head from the stack. He kicked two of the standing remains of the dummies he had used aside and planted the new ones in their place before clearing away the rest of the debris and throwing it onto the growing junk pile his training had created. He grunted to signify the spot was ready for his sister.

"Thanks, Frost. Okay, here we go…" The short sword wielding huntress took her place before the two dummies, tightly gripping her Barioth-material sword at her side and hoisting her shield up before her. She tapped her foot three times, as if finding her own inner rhythm, and launched herself towards the first target after doing so. With an elegant, dance-like spin she dealt a diagonal slash across the metal plated torso of the dummy, coating the mail with a thin layer of ice from her blade's innate element.

With another graceful twist, Snow cut another thin line into the armor, her blade moving as if it were an extension of herself in a deadly ballet. The huntress followed up by slamming the side of her shield into the dummy's head and bringing her spiked sword down onto its neck, a move that would have ensured any opposition was dead before hitting the ground. Drawing her shield arm back, Snow drove the two pointed spikes on the end of her buckler into the thick plating around the target's stomach, managing to punch through the metal and into the wood below it. With a deal of effort, the huntress wrenched the target out of the ground and threw it aside, freeing her sword and shield in the process.

Knowing there was another dummy immediately to her right, Snow rolled aside as if dodging an imaginary attack, coming to a stop before the target and slashing at its waist while she rose to her feet. Her next move was to bash the target's torso with her shield and twirl around to its side, swinging her spiked sword with enough force to puncture the thick metal covering the dummy and leave the blade lodged within. The white-haired huntress released her grip on the blade's hilt and spun around one last time, driving the back of her heel into the side of the target's armored head with a roundhouse kick, breaking it free from the earth and knocking it to the ground.

"So, how was that? Not too shabby, huh?" Snow asked her brother with a short huff of exhaustion. The long sword user gave a short nod, conveying his acceptance of her performance. The huntress quickly went to the downed target and pulled her sword free from the metal after a few pulls, stumbling back with a short yelp after it came loose. Frost caught her arm and steadied her before she could fall over, though. "Guess I might have swung a little too hard there, huh?"

A commotion from across the training yard drew the twins' attention to a group of four hunters making their way to the shooting range. Two of them, Viper the prankster archer and Emerald the green-haired, hot-headed bow user, were bickering about who knows what. Behind them was Wes, the dual blade wielder with mismatched eyes they had been associating with on a somewhat regular basis, and Amethyst, the quiet, purple haired heavy bowgunner Frost had completely forgotten existed. Wes seemed to be laughing about the bow-users' argument, something that had become a rather common occurrence over the last few months.

"Huh, I wonder what the hubbub is about with them this time," Snow said, sheathing her sword. "Come on, Frost, let's go see what they're up to!" The huntress quickly made her way over to the shooting range, and Frost let out a short sigh before following after his sister, knowing the real reason she was so excited to go see the group. "Hey, Wes! How're you doing?"

The dual blade wielder turned to face the pair as they approached, raising a hand in greeting. "Hey Snow. Hey Frost. You two are just in time to see Viper versus Emerald for the hundredth time," he said, nodding towards the two archers as they lined up at the range.

"I guessed as much. What was it that set her off this time, his haircut?" the huntress asked, trying to remember what the last conflict between the rival bow users had risen from. "Last time it was, what, something about Aptonoth meat?"

"No, I'm pretty sure it was about ale, but to be honest they've been at it so much I don't really think it matters much. Kinda all just melded into one big disagreement, I guess."

"I can understand that… So, how ironic do you think it would be if they ended up together?"

"Geez, it'll be a cold day in hell before these two get to that point!" Wes laughed. "I think she'd be more willing to kick him where the sun doesn't shine than get close to him."

"You wanna make a bet on that?"

"Depends, what're the terms?"

"How about this: if they kiss each other first, you owe me a hundred gold. If she kicks him first, I owe you the same. Deal?"

As soon as she had finished her sentence, Emerald cussed loudly at Viper and began firing arrows off even faster than she had been, while Viper laughed confidently and continued to fire a steady stream of projectiles at the target. The dual blade wielder smirked at the sight before turning back to face the huntress.

"I think I'll take that. So, I saw you both training over with the practice dummies. Nice moves, especially that spin-slash you did, Frost."

The masked hunter grunted and shrugged indifferently, keeping his gaze fixated on Viper and Emerald's 'competition'. In truth, he had been paying close attention to the entire exchange, though he decided it would be best not to get too involved himself, considering his sister's intentions.

"We've been hunting for years, after all," Snow said, far more accepting of the compliment than her brother. "What kind of hunters would we be if we didn't work on our own moves, right?"

"Trust me, I understand perfectly. I'm not sure about the whole 'leave your sword in the body' thing you did before kicking that dummy over, but you kinda impressed me with that last move. The stands for those targets are tough, and you managed to break one with a single kick?"

Snow giggled at the praise, blushing slightly. "Well, I've been told I have nice legs, but that's only because I like to be fast on my feet. So, I work mostly on strengthening them. What do you think?" she asked teasingly, moving part of her robes aside to reveal her black tight-clad thighs. Frost sighed very subtly in irritation, noting that Wes had become a little red in the face upon seeing Snow's toned legs. Despite her basically presenting herself to him, though, Wes didn't seem to try to get too close.

"They're, uh, very nice," Wes replied, a little flustered but doing a fairly decent job at hiding it. He turned away, lost in thought about something, though nothing of the "indecent" nature as far as Frost could tell.

"Something on your mind there, Wes?" Snow asked, abruptly leaning into his view and startling the distracted hunter.

"Geez! Uh, no, it's nothing, don't worry about it. Think those two are almost done?" he asked quickly, motioning towards Viper and Emerald, both of whom were running a low on arrows. It was more of an attempt to change the subject than to actually see what the situation between their contest was, but it seemed to work enough as the white-haired huntress turned back to check up on the archers' status.

"Hmm… looks to me like they're pretty close, but Viper has one more bulls-eye than her. Want to make a bet on who wins?"

"We've already got a standing one, Snow. No need to rush things," he chuckled while shaking his head. "Just curious though, how much were you thinking?"

"We're always betting money on these things, so why not change things up a little?" she asked deviously, a sign that the huntress had a very different idea on her mind.

"Okay…?" he replied cautiously. "Lay it on me, I guess."

"If Emerald manages to pull through and beat Viper, you have to treat me to a nice dinner. That sound good?"

"Eh… What would I get out of it if Viper wins?" he asked slowly.

"Well, what do you want?" she inquired curiously.

"…Is this at all a trick question?" The hunter glanced over nervously at the long sword wielder, who, while standing completely still, was boring into the dual blade wielder with a cold glare below his helm. Frost could tell from Wes' speech alone that the younger hunter was rather inexperienced in regards to dealing with women.

"Just tell me what you want, and I'll decide if it's fair enough, okay?"

"…Alright, I think I'll just take a hundred gold," he said, a decision that seemed to be an attempt to play it safe. "Viper wins, you owe me that much."

"I thought we agreed on not using money this time, Wes."

"Well, I don't really have any better ideas…"

"Okay, fair enough. So if I win you have to take me out on a date!"

"Wait, _what?_ That's not what I-!"

"Hey, Viper!" The huntress shouted loudly enough to break the golden-eyed archer's focus, and he let a surprised yelp out as the arrow he had nocked went flying off in a random direction, embedding itself into the ground several yards behind the target.

"What the hell?! That was my last arrow!" he angrily shouted back, turning to face the giggling short sword wielding huntress. "You made me miss the shot!" The twang of Emerald's bowstring brought his attention back to the range, where the green-haired archer had managed to score one more bulls-eye and put herself a few points ahead of him.

"Hah! _Now_ who's the better archer, asshole?!" the green-eyed huntress exclaimed victoriously, laughing and pointing a finger into Viper's stunned face. "You lose, little snake!" The huntress quickly made her way across the field and began wrenching her arrows free from the target, clearly riding high on her victory.

"So, Wes, when do you plan on taking me out?" Snow inquired slyly, giving him a devious grin.

"I- You cheated! You can't count that!" he replied quickly, hoping to cancel the bet.

"I don't recall us agreeing that we had to be _fair_ about our bets, Wes," the white haired huntress giggled. "I think I'd like some Lagiacrus tail tonight. I hope you know a good place!"

With one last sly grin, she departed for the main building, followed closely by Frost. Emerald and Amethyst soon walked past as well, heading in the same direction. Frost gave one last look back to the two hunters who stood gawking beside each other, realizing that they had basically been played. The pair groaned in unison as it dawned to them what had fully occurred.

"Dammit!"

* * *

"Sapphire, come on! Are you almost ready yet?" Ruby asked impatiently, waiting just inside the blue haired huntress's room. "Sir Balestra said that he finally had a job for us to do today, one where it can be the four of us together again! Aren't you a little excited?"

"Of course I am!" Sapphire replied from the bathroom, having spent quite some time working on her appearance. "I just want to look a little nicer is all!"

"Is this about your crush on Wes? Saph, we're literally going two stories up. You aren't going to see him, so quit wasting time!"

"You don't know that! Every time someone says something won't happen, it does! So keep saying that please!"

"You are completely hopeless…" the red haired hammer wielder sighed. It had been apparent since the first day that Sapphire had taken a liking to the dual blade wielder, something which Emerald had teased her about quite a lot. Ruby had also noted that plenty of the other female members of the Master Corps he hadn't actually worked with before seemed to stare after him as he walked by, a trend Ruby huffed at whenever she saw it occurring.

_If only they knew how self-centered he is…_ _Maybe then they'd stop fawning over him like he's some kind of big shot celebrity! Not like he's anything special anyways…_

"And, done! How do I look?" Sapphire asked, stepping into the main room. Her hair was freshly straightened and shone a fair cobalt blue, but aside from that, Ruby couldn't really see any noticeable differences.

"You're drop dead gorgeous. Now come on, let's get going!" Ruby urged, gesturing to the door.

"Wait, I need to get my armor on first!" she said quickly, ducking back into the bathroom.

"Sapphire…"

"It'll only take a minute, just relax!"

"You said the same thing ten minutes ago!"

"Time flies when you're having fun, right? It's only seemed like a minute to me!"

"Just hurry up! Emerald and Amethyst are probably already waiting for us up there!"

"Actually, we're right here. What's up?" Emerald asked, stepping into the open doorway past the red haired huntress, followed by Amethyst.

"We aren't late, are we…?" the purple eyed huntress asked lazily. "That would really suck…"

"The only person here who's late is Sapphire! Hurry up!"

"Alright, alright, I'm all set!" the blue haired huntress said, stepping out of the washroom wearing most of her Lagombi armor. The helm was tucked below one of her arms, while her shield was strapped to the other. "Sorry I took so long!"

"Didn't seem that long to me," Emerald replied wryly, noting Ruby's irritated demeanor. "You look good though! Trying to show off to our good buddy Wes, huh?" she teased. "I think you and Snow are gonna have a competition to see who can get to him first!"

"Okay, enough of this!" Ruby interjected, clearly unamused with her teammates' antiques. "We need to get to Balestra's office so he can tell us what assignment we'll all be going on, understand? Can we try and act a little more professional for this?"

"What's the rush…? Not like he's going anywhere…" Amethyst pointed out, resting her chin in her palm as she sat down at Sapphire's desk. "I say we all just take five…"

"Agreed, I haven't told you both about how I completely owned Viper earlier in a shoot off! It was awesome!" Emerald exclaimed, still riding high off of her victory. "If only you all could've seen his face!"

"Oh, you saw Viper earlier? Was Wes with him?!" Sapphire asked excitedly. "What was he doing, what was he up to, tell me tell me tell me-"

"EVERYONE JUST SHUT UP!" Ruby shouted over the other girls, silencing the entire room. "We have a job to get to, and we are going to find out what it is so we can do it and prove that _we _are the best, _understand?"_ The others silently glanced at each other and back at the red-eyed huntress, as if they all knew something she didn't. "…What?"

Emerald snickered a little and pointed past her, leading Ruby to turn around to see what she was gesturing towards. The huntress froze in a flustered rage as Wes stared into the room the Gem Sisters were gathered in from across the hall, a rather confused expression on his face.

"Oh, hey Wes!" Sapphire called, making herself visible in the doorway and waving to him from her room.

"Eh… hey, Saph… I'm, uh, I'm just gonna… go in here for a while… Try to keep the cat fights to a minimum, would ya?" he replied, opening the door to his room and stepping inside quickly, shutting it just as fast.

"See? I was right! We did see him!"

"…Let's just go…" Ruby sighed, heading out the door.

* * *

"I never thought there'd be a day off where I would wish I had an assignment…" Wes groaned, falling back on his bed. "Even if I am a bit tired, I think I'd rather chance getting injured than going out on a date right now…"

One of Wes' best kept secrets was that he had never actually gone on a single date before. It wasn't that he wasn't interested- far from it, in fact- but he'd spent so much of his time focusing on his training that the only knowledge he had about 'romance' was what he had gleaned from fictional stories he spent some of his free time reading. Essentially, all he knew was that woman liked being rescued from castles by knights in shining armor, and he had no idea when he'd ever get a chance like that, considering there weren't exactly any princesses in the country.

It wasn't like he didn't notice the occasional looks he gained from the opposite gender, either. He could at least tell when women found him attractive by the slight gleam in their eyes and the longing expressions they gained as he passed, but none of them had ever actually attempted to make an advance, and his own naivety on the subject prevented him from doing the same.

At least, no one had approached him before Snow and Sapphire. They had been particularly forward with their advances, despite occasionally masquerading them as simple teasing and jokes. Wes' only real defense to their advances was to attempt to change the subject after a flustered, awkward reply, which only worked maybe twice.

Further thinking on how miserable his situation was led to him recalling that his mother was partially to blame. When he was younger, she had made one-hundred percent clear that if he ever engaged in anything… _intimate _with one of his female friends from back in Moga, she'd ensure he had to take full responsibility. After a long lecture on the subject (and some deep mental scarring), Wes deduced that he really shouldn't take any chances whatsoever.

While the thought of just skipping out had occurred to him as well, Wes had taken to an early age to be a man of his word, sometimes even to a fault. He also didn't want to chance harming his friendship with either of the huntresses, though now it seemed like he was in an extremely delicate situation. Not only did he have absolutely zero experience with women beyond simple friendship, he was now supposed to take one on a date that had an extremely protective twin brother.

_Frost once out-muscled a Stygian Zinogre to protect her, the same one that we could barely come close to killing! And that was physical danger… There's no telling what he'd do to me if I made her sad! Judging how he took down those practice dummies earlier, it wouldn't be pretty…_

The blue- and green-eyed hunter groaned to himself as he pushed himself back up, anxiously scratching at the scar over his right cheekbone as he wraked his brain for a plan of action. The thin cut he had received from his fight with that thug Varon a few months back had eventually scabbed over, though Wes' own tendency to pick at them had led to the formation of the scar. As he did so, though, something clicked in his mind.

"Wait a sec… Don't women like strong guys? Maybe if I won a fight with someone at the tavern it'd make things easier for me! Okay, so… I think it'd be easier to pick a fight with someone who's drunk, so I'll want to find a table nearby some hunters who have a few tankards down already…" Before Wes could take his absurd plan too far, though, he remembered that after the tavern fight before he'd had to book it to escape from several pursuing Guild officers for disrupting the peace. Getting tangled up in legal affairs didn't make a fight seem worth it to impress a girl.

"Maybe if I went all out on an expensive meal she'd be impressed with my wealth…" he mumbled. But then he remembered his fathers stories about all the random gifts he had to buy for his mother when they were younger because she played off his kindness. Wes really didn't want that happening to him...

"Okay, so money's out of the question too… Maybe if I came off as really well educated, she'd think I'm smarter than the average guy?" Still, even this idea didn't seem like a good one after further thought. All he could think about was how he had managed to learn an impressive amount about all the various weapons and armors hunters used, from the inner workings of a gunlance to the strange reasons why hammers required whetstones to work properly. He didn't want to come off as an egg head either...

"Geez, I might be great at hunting, but I'm a complete loser when it comes to social interactions with women…" he groaned, pacing back and forth apprehensively. "All I know about her is that she wants Lagiacrus tail, and that she lived in the Tundra. Damn, I am screwed…"

For the next half hour or so, Wes paced restlessly about trying to figure out what way to come off as less of an idiot, though his anxiety prevented him from putting a proper plan together. With an exhausted sigh, he fell face first onto his mattress, groaning irately at the fact that he was getting so worked up over something that by all rights shouldn't be such a big deal.

A few raps on his door led to him releasing another sigh, feeling too conflicted to answer it. "Door's open," he called out, letting his face fall back into the sheets as he heard the door creak open.

"Erm… Is this a bad time?" Wes recognized that the voice belonged to the Corps officer, Trance. He'd regularly been the one who gathered the hunters Balestra sent out on assignments, which Wes realized might be his ticket out of this whole affair. He rolled over quickly to face the brown haired man and sat up.

"No, it's fine," Wes lied. "What's up? Is there a job for me?"

"Yes, Sir Balestra sent his apologies for calling upon you during one of your days off, but you were the only hunter with one of the skill sets needed for this assignment," Trance replied, removing his hat and setting it on Wes' table before seating himself. "He called me to work on _my _day off too, so trust me, I can understand if you're irritated-"

"Not at all," the hunter replied almost enthusiastically, relief washing over him. Looks like luck was on his side after all! "What kind of job is it?"

"I think it's another expedition, but in all honesty I didn't really read the report over…" the officer mumbled, scratching the side of his head. "That's what he usually assigns for you, at least. I think I remembered seeing it was near the Flooded Forest region, though."

"Guess it's because I can get to most places others can't. Did he say who else was going to be on this job?"

"You were the last one I had to get, actually. You'll meet the others up there. Are you all set to go, or do you need to grab a few things first?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute," Wes replied, going over to his equipment chest.

_Let's see here… I could use another rope dart, but I'm down to three, so I'll need to be careful with it. An air filter would come in handy too, so best grab one of those… Bah, not a philter, a filter! There we go... Got a couple smoke bombs and some throwing knives, so I should be all set with this!_

"Alright, I'm good," the blue- and green-eyed hunter stated, placing everything into his pouch and strapping it shut. "And Trance, just between you and me, you're a life saver."

"I am?" the officer inquired confusedly with a raised eyebrow. "What did I do?"

"Just… got me out of something I really didn't want to do." Trance attempted to glean more info, but Wes insisted they get going as soon as possible, not intending to stick around for too much longer.

_Whew… maybe next time I'm at the market I can find a book on dating advice or something… This could've ended awfully._

* * *

"Good of you to join us, Mr. Wes," Balestra stated, pushing himself up from his desk as the dual blade wielder entered the room with Trance. The hunter took his place next to the third member of the group gathered there while the officer took a seat at a table next to the wall.

"Kept you waiting, eh?" Wes asked, a very subtle hint of sarcasm in his tone. Balestra narrowed his eyes at the hunter, but didn't reply to the question as he gazed at the other hunters assembled there.

"To begin, I would like to personally apologize for assembling those of you who were not expecting to have an assignment today. The situation called for your experience, though, so there was little choice in the matter. Now, as for what the assignment is, I believe Mr. Trance has informed you all that you will be embarking on an expedition in the Flooded Forest."

"Yeah, but why is this so important that I had to get dragged into it?" the middle hunter grumbled, prompting Wes to glance over to see who it was. To his surprise, it was one of the two hunters he had brawled with on the journey to Loc Lac before they had arrived and Ishmael's older brother, Curt. The Lagiacrus-clad great sword wielder's displeasure at having been called in for the job was apparent from his expression alone.

"Your expertise with explosives was necessary for potentially clearing out any debris within the ruin," Balestra elaborated monotonously before turning to face the rest of the group. "We have been led to believe that this particular ruin is far more dangerous than any previous ones uncovered. As such, I expect you all to take all the extra precautions necessary to ensure each other's' survival."

"How dangerous are we talking?" the first huntress, a brown-haired light bowgunner in Wroggi armor asked. Her particular get up left very little to the imagination, leading Wes to wonder how it protected her vitals at all, considering her midriff, upper arms, and inner legs were mostly unguarded.

"As far as we have been able to find out, there are numerous traps still functioning within the structure. The ones who entered first reported trip wires and arrow traps that were in the first hall alone. You all had best be careful, Ms. Tara."

"A veritable temple of doom, huh…" the last hunter, a long sword user dressed in G-Rank Sand Barioth materials mumbled. Wes couldn't tell what the man's features were below the helm he wore, though his stature, armor, and weapon choice reminded the dual blade wielder eerily of Frost. "Any word on if there are monsters in the region?"

"A report of an exceedingly large Duramboros was filed this week, though its exact location is unknown. Mr. Arroyo, your target is the ruin, not the beast. You are only to engage the creature if it directly interferes with your team's attempt to enter the ruin, understood?"

"How many artifacts are we looking at for recovery?" Wes asked before the long sword wielder, Arroyo, could speak up again. "I'm guessing there's another magma ruby in there?"

"From what we have been able to glean from its structure, yes, it is believed that there is a ruby located within. Aside from it, any objects pertaining to the culture of the civilization who constructed the ruin would be an important find. I trust that you will be able to find a sufficient amount of antiques within, Mr. Wes. So, your assignment is to investigate the forest ruins and recover the objects of interest from within. I trust you all will return safely, so with that, I bid you good day."

Knowing that Balestra's use of that phrase meant he was through with the briefing, the hunters began to depart. Curt intentionally shoved past Wes as he stomped out of the room, anger and irritation at both Wes' presence and his own off time being taken practically seething out of him. Arroyo and Tara likewise made their way out the door, but Wes spared one glance back at the Corps Head, who had currently reseated himself at his desk and picked up a report to read through.

_I get the feeling there's more to this job than he's letting on… _the hunter thought to himself, taking note of both how abruptly this assignment had come up and how swiftly Balestra had replied to their interjections. _Usually he talks for way longer… _

"Mr. Wes, I do believe your teammates will have to wait for you if you insist on tarrying any longer," the crimson eyed man said, not looking up from his file. His eerily calm demeanor still led Wes to raising an eyebrow at the man, but the hunter knew that it would be smarter to ask once he had returned.

_Don't need to be pissing of Curt… Chances are he and I will be at it throughout this entire mission anyways… _

With a short sigh, Wes departed from the office, making his way down to the ground floor using the stairs; the elevator's frequent breakdowns prevented him from actually taking advantage of the faster option in favor of habitual staircase use. As he rounded the stairs on the fourth floor, though, he walked straight into a certain white haired huntress standing outside of the door nearest to the stairs.

"Wes? Wow, you're that eager for tonight, huh?" Snow teased, shutting the door she had just come out of. Wes barely spared a glance inside in time to see a tall figure with white hair moving out of sight.

"Uh… I hate to say it, but, well, Balestra kinda… called me for a job…" Wes admitted nervously, looking aside and scratching at his cheekbone scar. "I guess dinner's off… right…?"

"What? On your day off?" the huntress asked disbelievingly. "Why would he call for you today?"

"He said something about there being no available hunters with the proper skillset..."

"Well, darn… Guess I'll just have to wait for you to come back to uphold your end of the deal then!" she said enthusiastically.

_Shit… _"Uh, sure, Snow, absolutely. I've gotta get going now, for the, uh, job, so I'll see you when I get back," he said quickly, giving a short wave and briskly walking past the huntress to continue his downward descent.

"Okay, good luck! Come back safe!" she replied, giving him a warm smile and a quick wave as he passed by. As soon as he was out of sight, Wes let out a long breath he'd been holding during the entire exchange, relieved that the conversation had actually gone smoothly.

_I'm seriously gonna need some help with this…_

* * *

"Sir, am I dismissed?" Trance asked tiredly, noting the setting sun outside the Corps Heads window. "I've had to work several rather unexpected shifts as of late…"

"Not quite yet, Mr. Trance. You've had yet to relate your findings in the research lab." Balestra set down the file he had been reading through and sat up, staring straight at the officer with his crimson eyes.

"Ah, right… Would I be dismissed after this then?"

"Yes. You may have tomorrow off as well. Mr. Corrin should be out of the recovery ward by then." Trance shuddered a little, recalling how only a month ago a failed experiment in the labs had led to his friend's hand getting blasted off. The 'Miracle Doctor' known as Connor had been able to provide him with a prosthetic one only a few days after stopping the bleeding, but the shock from the injury had convinced the foreign doctor that the man should not get back to work so soon. Thus, Corrin had remained in a cozy hospital bed all month while Trance had to pick up his duties.

"Might I suggest recruiting or promoting another person to the same position as me and Corrin? I do appreciate that he was elevated to Information Processing, but two people for a job involving most of the Corps is-"

"Mr. Trance, I asked you for the report you compiled on your findings with Mr. Joshua, not your suggestions to make your work easier."

"Ah, r-right, my apologies… In regards to the mystery creature, the scientists have been unable to determine what it was before mutating, though they have some theories. Joshua suggested contacting an associate to assist in researching it, someone by the name of… Harker, if I recall correctly."

"Do go on."

"They've also decided on a code name for the creature until it can be properly identified. For now, it will be referred to as 'Gear Rex'. Personally, I don't quite understand the reason behind the name…"

"It matters little."

"I suppose… Sir Joshua also told me in passing that the creature's tolerance to the tranquilizers is increasing, and eventually it may become immune to them altogether. He suggested it _not _be inside the lab when that happens, else the damage it could cause would be catastrophic. I'd like to propose we set aside a few guards, maybe even some hunters in case things go... _bad._"

"Very well… Next time you are to meet with him, get an estimate on how much time remains until this happens. Did they discover anything else?"

"Something very… peculiar about the magma rubies," Trance replied, not entirely sure about what had occurred himself. "One of the researchers said that apparently the stones had the capability of... 'brainwashing' a monster."

"…Brainwashing? Mr. Trance, if you are making an attempt at humor-"

"Sir, I saw it firsthand. He held one of the rubies out and ordered a Great Jaggi to go fetch a bone. And it _worked. _I mean, they don't fully understand what happened… at all… but I can at least confirm that it did happen."

Balestra's flat expression betrayed none of his thoughts to the officer, who stood awkwardly waiting for his superior's response. All Trance could tell was that the crimson-eyed man didn't seem very surprised by the news, though Trance also knew that absolutely nothing ever _had _surprised Balestra the entire time he'd been working for the Corps. Either he already knew about this, or he was just exceptionally good at hiding his emotions. Trance found the latter to be the more likely -and sensible- reason.

"…I will think on this. Mr. Trance, you are dismissed," Balestra said after a long pause. "I expect to see you back here the morning after tomorrow. Good day to you."

The officer blinked twice in surprise, not having expected that to be the man's reaction. "Erm… Sir, are you certain there's nothing else you-"

"I said good day, Mr. Trance."

* * *

"Gah, sonuva-! How the hell did I lose that?!" Viper angrily shouted, punching the wall of his room.

It had been only about an hour since his shoot off with Emerald, and he had taken the loss rather badly. It wasn't that he had lost the competition itself, though. When it got down to it, Viper considered himself a graceful loser, accepting when he lost fairly. This time, though, he _knew _he should've won, but Snow suddenly breaking his focus when she had threw off his aim completely.

"I missed the whole frickin' target! I should've been able to hit that with both eyes closed, god dammit! I swear, if Ms. Ice Princess thought she could talk up a storm, I'm gonna chew her ear off next time I see her!"

He and Wes had both been completely in shock by that particular event, though Viper knew it was for different reasons. The dual blade wielder had explained that he had gotten roped into a bet with the huntress, but realized too late that she had tricked him into taking her out on a date if she won. This also meant, unfortunately for him, that Snow had apparently been willing to cheat to win, resulting in Viper's despicable shot.

That was what bothered the archer the most, though. Not that he had lost, and not that Snow had been the reason for it, but that he had missed the target.

_Missing a monster is one thing; they react and dodge! Missing a stationary target at a set distance, even if I'm distracted, that's unforgivable! Dammit dammit dammit! I swore I would never miss again after… Bah, this is all their fault!_

Before he could go put a hole in the wall, though, there was a few light knocks on his door that broke Viper out of his tirade. Still grumbling to himself, the golden-eyed archer answered it, surprised to see the familiar face of Ishmael.

"Hey, how's it goin?"

"Ishmael? Damn, I haven't talked to you in… How long has it been? Four weeks?"

"Actually, five, but close enough. Mind if I come in?"

"Eh… sure, I guess," Viper replied, moving out of the way to allow the Gigginox clad hunter to enter. "What's up? I didn't know you were one to make house calls."

"I'm usually not, but… well, considering I could hear you from the stairwell, I figured I might pop in for a chat," Ishmael elaborated, taking a seat at Viper's cluttered writing desk. The archer found himself a little embarrassed at the realization that Ishmael had heard his ranting, considering the thick walls and the fact that his room was the furthest from the stairs on his floor.

"Ah, so… You heard that?"

"Yup."

"How much?"

"Pretty much all of it, considering you were saying the same thing for a half hour straight. I also heard from a couple friends out at the training yard that the reason for all the ranting and raving was because you lost to Emerald in a shooting contest. Just wondering, why's that getting you so worked up?"

"It's not that I lost the frickin'-! Bah, sure, fine, I'm pissed because I lost, happy?"

"You went back on yourself there. Sure it isn't something else?"

"Okay, fine, it's because I got cheated out of the win. Happy?" Viper asked, frustrated with the hunter's persistent questions.

"I think there's a bit more to it than that," Ishmael stated. "I think that you aren't mad at losing, or being jipped out of a win, but that you're angry because of _how _you lost."

"…Ain't that the same thing as the second one?"

"Not the way I'm thinking, no. You're mad about missing the target."

"How did you- What?" Viper was utterly stunned; how did he manage to guess that? "…I know I never said a thing about that aloud. How did you know that?"

"You could say I'm good at reading between the lines…"

"Don't get cryptic on me, else I'll clock you."

"…Okay, well, for one, the way you were acting about picking up that last arrow before was a dead giveaway. No one would consider cussing to the sky and snapping it in half to be 'normal'. Then, you focused most of your mouthing off towards losing, not once touching on how you broke the arrow. That made me think you were trying to hide the real reason not only from others, but maybe even yourself. And, the real topper to this all was you confirming it yourself."

The hooded hunter's deduction only served to further confound Viper, who shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Alright, if anything, what I did and said should have made you think that was all there was to it. How the hell did you come up with that?"

"Like I said, I'm good at reading between the lines. The way I see it, there's usually a bit more to something that you'd assume at first glance. So tell me, why does missing a shot seem to hit your berserk button?"

"Because, it- no, I just prefer not to miss when I could have easily hit my mark."

"You went back on yourself again."

"Goddammit, what do you want from me? It's like I'm facing the frickin' inquisition all of a sudden!"

"Did something happen before that made you never want to miss again? Something important? Maybe… something you could've prevented?"

"…We're done talking," Viper hissed, pointing towards the door. _I've had it with this guy's questions… He asks another one, I'm gonna break something…_

"Alright, well, I can tell I must've hit a nerve," Ishmael said quickly, getting to his feet. "All I want to say is that I can tell you've got a lot on your mind, but that even if you need help with it you should try and talk to someone about it first. You've been kinda easy to anger at the touch of a hair over a few random things, so I'm trying to save someone else the trouble of a fight."

The golden-eyed archer only motioned towards the door with his head, nonverbally ordering the Gigginox-clad hunter to leave. With no further comment, Ishmael did just that, and Viper shut the door loudly behind him as soon as the brown-eyed man was clear of the doorframe.

"Bloody hell that was close… No one needs to know why, only that I _always_ hit my mark… Dad, you'd better be watching me, cause next time, I won't miss."

* * *

**_Author Notes: _**_Whew, first major time skip! __When I first started brainstorming for Master Corps, I decided I'd want to split it up into "arcs" with distinct themes between them that are the central focus of each. Right now we're just out of the arc "Foundation", though I won't reveal the name of the one we're in now until we're mostly through it, so as to avoid spoilers. The one reveal I will make is that I intend for every arc to end in "-tion", mostly because I think it sounds nice. _

_Hey, first time I've had more than one paragraph in my notes! So, who all has seen the trailers for Assassin's Creed Unity? I think it might be my single most anticipated game of this year, just from the trailer and gameplay videos alone. So, to hype myself further I've taken to replaying some of the older AC games to see just how different Unity will be from them. And because there really aren't any other games I feel like playing aside from Monster Hunter... But that's beside the point. I'm also glad to see that Nintendo finally decided to remake Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire! Hopefully Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire will live up to their origins and be even better._

_Well, I suppose I've reached the end of my notes, so I'll just end here. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you thought in the reviews! Until next time, my faithful readers!_

**_Playing:_**_Assassin's Creed: Revelations, MH3U_

**_Watching:_**_Assassin's Creed Unity Trailers (Over and over again...)_

**_Listening to:_**_Avenged Sevenfold, The Offspring_

**_Reading: _**_The Lost Civilization: DLC by dashboardgecko, any news at all on good upcoming games_


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